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Beijing+30: Stakeholders renew call for women’s rights, equality (Page 209)

By Justina Auta

Stakeholders have renewed calls for stronger policies, sustained funding and collective action to advance the rights of women and girls in Nigeria.

The stakeholders made the call at the Beijing+30 Women’s Summit, in Abuja as the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995, focus on women’s empowerment, gender equality and sustainable development, with a call to action for global progress.

The summit was organised by the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement in collaboration with the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN-Nigeria) and Womanifesto.

The stakeholders said that systemic barriers, policies and underfunding had slowed progress toward gender equity.

They said that urgent reform was needed to ensure that women can fully participate in national decision-making.

Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, said that Nigerian women possessed enormous potential but were held back by disunity, under-investment, and structural barriers.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said that economic empowerment was a critical pathway to financially stable women, reducing vulnerability, enabling participation in decision-making and supporting children’s education.

“When women have money, they can achieve anything. Financially empowered women are better positioned to resist domestic abuse, support their families, and engage meaningfully in politics,” she said.

On legislative reforms, the minister expressed concern about the proposed reserved-seats bill for women, warning that poor design could put women against one another and undermine progress.

She, therefore, called for strategic consensus-building and intentional negotiation.

“We can get more. Why are we negotiating for less?”

‎Drawing on lessons from China, she highlighted how intentional investment in women transformed outcomes for millions.

She also decried Nigeria’s absence in major continental and global gender platforms, urging women to show up and work collectively to secure representation.
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‎She said that Nigeria could not solve gender challenges without unity, honesty and shared ownership of reforms.

“The power of teamwork makes the dream work,” she said.

She, therefore, called for intentional coalition-building, informed advocacy, and strategic negotiations to secure sustainable political representation for women.

Prof. Olabisi Aina of Sociology and Gender Studies at Obafemi Awolowo University, in her keynote address, said that Nigeria’s gender-equity efforts remained trapped in fragmented coordination, underfunding and data poverty.

Aina emphasised the need for the Ministry of Women Affairs to drive gender-responsive policies across health, education, agriculture and planning, ensuring that government action advances women’s rights and inclusion.

She called for a transformative feminist governance model, driven by collaboration, justice, accountability and data.

“Feminist leadership is not about filling seats but reshaping the table and ensuring that women who enter governance understand the issues and can negotiate effectively.

‎“When a nation is directed only by the brains of men, can you say it is thinking in totality?

Nigeria is lagging behind its African peers on women’s political representation, and this is a shame for a country considered the giant of Africa,” she said.
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‎She identified key pillars for progress, including intergenerational mentorship, gender-responsive budgeting, stronger GBV interventions, feminist data governance, and investment in knowledge production.

“How can you change the situation of women when you do not have data? Data is the engine of transformation,” she said.

Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, Chairperson, Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum and First Lady of Kwara State, reaffirmed commitment towards ending GBV, improving women’s rights, economic empowerment and participation in governance.

Earlier, Mrs Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, Co-founder, Amandla Institute, highlighted the need to tackle Gender-Based Violence (GBV), noting progress in some states but highlighting the need for nationwide accountability.

“The progress of African women since Beijing has been one of five steps forward and ten steps back.

“We have had to say the same thing over again to different audiences, or we make gains and our losses keep increasing,” she said.

She, therefore, stressed the need for conscientious efforts towards gender equality, women’s rights, ending GBV and shaping the post-Beijing gender agenda.

Other activities include panel discussion on “Recalling Beijing 1995 (Looking Back)” and “Intergenerational Dialogue (Marching Forward).

The summit ended with a shared call for transformative feminist governance to address persistent inequality and accelerate meaningful change for Nigerian women. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

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Beijing+30: Stakeholders renew call for women’s rights, equality (Page 209)