By Justina Auta

The Federal Government and UN Women have strengthened mechanisms to enhance accountability and catalyse transformative action toward achieving Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) for sustainable development.

Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, said this at the GEWE Coordination Mechanism and Institutional Strengthening Meeting in Abuja.

She emphasised the need for a unified and results-driven national GEWE architecture.

The meeting brought together representatives from UN Women, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, zonal gender coordinators, state commissioners of women affairs, civil society organisations, development partners, and the media.

The minister noted that the distribution of ICT equipment and working tools by UN Women to all State Ministries of Women Affairs and the FCT would support data reporting and information tracking for GEWE coordination and monitoring.

“As part of our institutional strengthening efforts, I am pleased to announce the distribution of ICT equipment to all State Ministries of Women Affairs, made possible by UN Women.

“These are not ornamental; they are strategic tools for data-driven programming, monitoring and evaluation, coordination, and digital reporting. I urge you to use them effectively and accountably,” she said.

Ms. Beatrice Eyong, Country Representative to UN Women Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the meeting aimed to consolidate efforts for greater coherence, accountability, and sustainability in GEWE initiatives across Nigeria.

“I call on relevant government institutions, the private sector, and philanthropic organisations to invest in women, girls, men, and boys by supporting coordination activities that can significantly scale up GEWE outcomes.

“To those of us on the frontlines demanding accountability and championing change, let us not relent. Let us keep hope alive for better GEWE days ahead. Wishing us a productive meeting,” she added.

Ms Ebere Ifendu, National Chair of the Women Political Participation Group, speaking on “The Special Bill Act: Processes, Progress, and Next Critical Steps,” highlighted the critical issue of female underrepresentation in politics.

She noted that women constituted less than 5 per cent of Nigeria’s National Assembly. This, she said, placed the country low on the global scale of female political representation.

She emphasised the urgent need to address women’s underrepresentation at both the national and state assembly levels and advocated for the passage of the Special Seats Bill to foster a more inclusive and developed society.

Dr Ojukwu Mark-Ojukwu, UN Women Consultant on GEWE Research, presented findings on “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Northern and Southern Zones.”

He noted that while women are highly represented in executive roles due to their numbers in the civil service, this representation is concentrated at lower cadres.

He stressed the need for greater women’s political participation and leadership, calling for the implementation of policies and structures that support women’s empowerment and intentional mentoring of young women to prepare them for leadership roles.

Mrs Edema Irom, Acting Dean of Commissioners and Commissioner of Women Affairs for Cross River State, expressed appreciation to UN Women and the Federal Government for their initiatives.

She reaffirmed the commitment of State Ministries of Women Affairs to effectively use the distributed materials for data collection and information tracking related to GEWE progress. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru