In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to give Nigeria Women a good representation in governance and decision-making in the country has received a tremendous boost. The Maryan Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD) with the support of the UN Women has set up the second phase of the project on resource Centres for women in governance and decision-making process in Nigeria.
Speaking at the press briefing in the ICT Building in the Centre today, the Director-General, Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Hon Dr Asabe Vilita Bashir stated that the under-representation of women in governance and decision-making is a critical issue affecting the fabric of the society despite that women make up nearly half of the population. According to her, “this disparity is not fair, but it also hinders our collective progress and development, she asserted”.
The MBNCWD boss therefore, assured that in addressing the disparity, the Centre in collaboration with UN Women and the Canadian government had set up 3 zonal resource centres in Abuja, Calabar and Maidugiri to provide resources for women in politics to increase women’s political representation in Nigeria. According to her, “while implementing the project, we realized the limitation in the name, and this called for a change intact and further consultation.
Today, we are happy to announce that the flagging off the second phase of the project is with a broader focus on women in governance and decision-making, she said”.
Reiterating that the Centre stays a hub for empowering women to take on leadership roles and make their voices heard, the elated Dr Bashir assured that through these created centres, there will be an increased women’s participation in governance and decision-making, leading to more inclusive and fair police.
Furthermore, she assured that it will promote gender equality, challenge harmful gender stereotypes, and enhance the quality of leadership and decision-making leading to a better understanding of our communities. She further, emphasised that the centre will drive economic growth and development as women’s participation in the workforce is essential for a thriving economy while saying that the benefits of the resource centre will be far-reaching, affecting not only individual women but also their families, communities, and the nation.
According to her, “it will be a beacon of hope and a symbol of our commitment to gender equality and inclusiveness, she averred.”
While urging the state commissioners of women affairs to build their capacities further and get their buy-in -on the project, the Director-General (MBNCWD) therefore used this opportunity to call on other development partners to join in the project including the fourth estate of the realm, the press to disseminate messages to empower women to lead Nigeria towards a brighter future.
The highlight of the event was the interactive session with different women’s communities.
Iwuchukwu Nnamdi
Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, MBNCWD
