In a recently concluded two-day event, UN WOMEN in partnership with WIMBIZ organised a roundtable dialogue with female CEOs, board chairpersons and members on collaborating to end structural barriers and discriminatory practices that hold back progress on gender equality and empowerment. Associate Editor, KEMI AJUMOBI hosted day one of the programme and writes. Excerpts
Beatrice Eyong is the UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS
We need adequate gender-responsive actions
10 million girls in Nigeria are out of school, that is about 60% of the 18.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria
44 million women are living under the poverty line in Nigeria
In agriculture, we realize that women work in 80% of the agricultural land along the value chains but they own only10% of land
In terms of gender imbalances, we realise there is disparity even in salaries. Women earn only N7,700 for the same job that the man is earning N10,000 and only 34% of women have bank accounts
In a recent report done by ECOWAS, 860 women die per 100,000 births and the North East is topping the list with 1,500 deaths per 100,000 births.
In Nigeria, there are 20,000 cases of young girls with VVF
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40% of girls in Nigeria are married before their 18th birthday, and one in four has been a victim of sexual violence
25% of married women in Nigeria have experienced some form of spousal domestic violence at all levels
64% of women have experienced one or more instances of sexual harassment in the workplace
On governance, we have only 3.8% of women in elective posts nationally and in states, only 16% of appointments and women hold only 20% of executive positions in Nigeria
Only 10% of Nigerian women own land because people say women cannot own land
20% of Nigerian women between 15 to 19 have been circumcised
A 2017 report shows that 43% of Nigerian men think that sometimes, it is good for women to be beaten
The World Bank did a study in 2000 that said those countries that don’t take gender equality and women’s empowerment serious, will face more poverty, more deaths, more malnourishment and more instances where people don’t have access to services.
