National Gender Policy: Tinubu urged to prioritize women in appointive offices

This call was made by Hon. Oluga Taiwo, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Women in Parliament, at a press briefing co-organized with the Nigeria Women Trust Fund in Abuja on Monday.

The call came amid concerns about the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in Nigeria.

Hon. Taiwo highlighted the importance of gender mainstreaming in governance, stating that women constitute over 50% of the population and their contributions to nation-building cannot be overemphasized.

Nevertheless, she noted that gender mainstreaming is not just about meeting the 35% affirmative action in appointments, but also about ensuring that women are appointed based on merit.

“We have competent women who can occupy appointive offices across board and contribute to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people.

“It is therefore imperative that the incoming administration mainstreams women in appointive offices as prescribed in the National Gender Policy and other international instruments,” she said.

At the briefing, one female aspirant for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Miriam Onuoha, and two aspirants for Deputy Speaker, Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga and Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, also spoke.

They called for greater inclusion of women in leadership positions and urged the incoming administration to prioritize gender mainstreaming in all aspects of governance.

Hon. Onuoha emphasized the need for women to be given equal opportunities to participate in politics and governance.

“Women have the capacity to lead and we should be given the opportunity to do so. I am confident that if given the chance, we will deliver and make a positive impact on the lives of Nigerians,” she said.

Hon. Onanuga and Hon. Akande-Sadipe stressed that gender mainstreaming is not just a moral imperative, but also a legal obligation.

“The National Gender Policy and other international instruments have made it mandatory for governments to mainstream gender in all aspects of governance, including appointments. We expect the incoming administration to adhere to these principles across board,” they said.

In her remarks, Mrs Mufuliat Fijabi, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Women Trust Fund, noted that despite the country’s adoption of the National Gender Policy and other international instruments, women continue to be marginalized in politics and decision-making processes.

She, however, stressed that the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Tinubu has the opportunity to change this narrative and ensure greater inclusion of women in governance.