Lack of gender parity costs Sub Saharan Africa US$95bn annually – Saraki

 

Her Excellency, Mrs. Toyin Ojora-Saraki, wife of the Senate President, has disclosed that United Nations estimates reflect that lack of gender parity costs Sub Saharan African (SSA) countries including Nigeria, on the average, about US$95billion a year.

She therefore advised that in order to improve livelihood of their people, SSA countries have both moral and economic responsibilities to transform respective economies through the promotion of gender equality.

Saraki made this disclosure at the celebration of the 112th International Women’s Day organized by the Pat Utomi Widow Support Centre (WSC) in Lagos where she was the Special Guest of Honour recently.

She commended WSC for providing an invaluable service to families who require assistance due to tragic demise of their spouses.  She specially commended WSC for organizing and implementing citizen education programmes which challenge specific cases of injustice and also promote a fair legislative agenda.

In reviewing global progress in respect of gender equality, she commended the United Nations Secretary-General for achieving 50:50 gender balance for Senior Management Group at the UN Secretariat. At the domestic level, Saraki commended Kwara State House of Assembly for posting the highest number of elected female legislators in Nigeria.

Going forward, Saraki added that this trend should encourage more women to aspire for the highest positions in their respective endeavour. She acknowledged the support of some males who have embraced gender equality and appealed that mutual respect should guide relationships in the mission to birth gender equality in the society.

The theme of  the 2018 WSC celebration was PushForProgress: A strong Call-to-Action to Press Forward and Progress Gender Parity.

The event also featured a panel discussion on the theme Gender Disparity in Nigeria; a short film on discrimination titled FE-Male; keynote address by Dr. Amy Jadesimi, CEO Ladol Limited; Welcome address by Prof. Pat Utomi, Founder, Pat Utomi Widow Support Centre(WSC); remarks by Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin; and testimony from Mrs. Tonia Ojenagbon, survivor of rape when she was a young girl.

In his welcome address, Prof. Pat Utomi said that any society that is not able to harness the economic contributions of more than 50 per cent of its population is a failed society. Thereafter, he drew attention to the huge economic loss that Nigeria suffers arising from neglect of the economic contributions and potentials of women who represent about 50 per cent of her population.

He condemned gender discrimination and pointed out that gender equality is easy to achieve if recognition and opportunities are provided to both sexes in addition to teaching people to respect each other particularly as children grow up into adolescents.

Utomi added that lack of access to education is a barrier to realizing the full potentials of people and that if women are empowered with appropriate education, the future of the next generation of Nigerians will be better. He admonished all Nigerians irrespective of sex, to commit to this mission in the overall interest of growth and development of the country.

In her keynote address, Dr. Jadesimi said that the thrust of the 5th Goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) is about gender equality and how women can support the world by leading sustainable initiatives and changes around the world.

She emphasized that achieving gender equality can create the jobs we need to sustain economies around the world. Jadesimi advised women to speak up on matters that will improve society and the role that women could play in achieving a sustainable economy. She concluded that women must demand their rights if they wish to be recognized and respected by the opposite sex.

In a brief remark, Pastor Ifeanyi Adefarasin admonished women to let go and not be bound by societal stereotypes but should rather aim to attain landmark achievements for which they have been divinely created to achieve.

Mrs. Tonia Ojenagbon, a sexual assault survivor who was abused at very early age cautioned families to be very sensitive to who their children associate with because experience inform that rapists are usually very close family members and friends. She exposed that rape victims cut across both sexes. She advised that parents need to speak out against cases of sex abuse in order to stamp the menace out of our society.

The panel of discussants featured Dr. Nkechi Nwankwo, gender and women empowerment consultant; Prof. Ekanem Ekure, Prof of Pediatric Cardiology; Mr. Ubong Essien, certified public speaker, Pastor Eme Godwin; and Mr.Owodiong Idemeko, a human resources consultant. The summary of the panel discussion at the event is as follows:

Marginalization of women in Nigeria is reflected in the low representation across several parameters such as: women represent 20 per cent of literate population while 90 per cent of land ownership is registered in names of males. In addition, only 15 per cent of Money Deposit Bank Accounts belong to women. In the political space, 7 Senators out of 109 are women while out of 360 House of Representatives seats only 26 are women.

In order to eliminate stereotypes limiting role of women in society, the panelists advocated for urgent need to recognize and accept that culture and religion must be dynamic and not allowed to hold society hostage.

Both sexes must also learn to develop mutual respect and ability to help each partner to attain the best in respective endeavour. The panelists advised that career women must make early decision concerning family-work balance if both desire a happy and fulfilled home.

In order to stem the rise in domestic violence the full application of legal provisions on domestic violence was cited as a panacea to challenges that confront mostly the female gender. In addition, raising children without discrimination against gender and provision of equal opportunities for economic empowerment for both sexes at young age was identified as a good way to inculcate in young people, gender respect at early ages in the life of future male and female adults.

In addition, it was emphasized that parents have a major role to play in nurturing violence free marriages in the life of their children by laying good examples through the demonstration of love and care in their own marriage.

The injunction of the Bible resonated in the panel discussion. Submission was that God created both sexes equal and are to help each other. While the man must love his wife the woman should respect her husband.

Finally, it was agreed that women must do the utmost to upgrade respective skills in order to be economically free and supportive of the husband as part of a process to achieve gender equality and limit overdependence on the male partner.

About Pat Utomi Widow Support Centre (WSC)

The Pat Utomi Widow Support Centre(WSC) was initiated in 1992 by Prof. Pat Utomi through the Pat Utomi Trust for Humane Co-Existence to add value to the lives of widows and their children and also to help them overcome the burden and challenges they face due to the demise of their husbands. The Centre has been in existence for over 25 years and its activities coordinated by The Centre for Values in Leadership until recently when it was registered as a separate entity under the name Pat Utomi Widow Support Centre (WSC)

The Centre also play advocacy role in addressing some social injustices against widows through citizen education programmes challenging specific cases of injustices in the law courts and seeking legislative agenda that can result in a system that is more sensible to the plight of the widows.