A group, UNWomen, has called on President Bola Tinubu to guarantee equal gender representation with a minimum of 50 percent women in his cabinet, heads of agencies and parastatals.
The UNWomen Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, made the request at the inaugural ReportHer Awards at the weekend in Lagos.
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Eyong said, “We strongly endorse the inclusion of women in public positions, aiming for a balanced representation of 50 percent as President Bola Tinubu finalises the appointments of Ministers, heads of agencies, and parastatals,” she declared. “We urge the President to transform this vision into concrete action.
“We are collaborating with the media to foster the realisation of the SDGs, as the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women are indispensable for the successful attainment of the SDGs and the alleviation of poverty,” she said.
Eyong said the UNWomen which is recognised as a worldwide institution committed to attaining gender equality and promoting women’s empowerment, was founded through collaborative endeavours involving stakeholders and civil society organisations.
She clarified that the organisation was concerned about the lack of 50 percent female involvement in development matters, leading to an escalation of poverty and mortality rates and the failure to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She charged the media to enhance their endeavours by actively involving the three branches of government to strengthen the development and execution of policies and legislation that promote gender inclusivity and guarantee equal opportunities for everyone.
“Furthermore, political parties in Nigeria should reassess their organizational structure and constitution to become more responsive to gender concerns,” she stated.