By Seun Adams
The Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) and the Electoral Hub, have called on government and stakeholders to create a conducive environment that protects the rights of women and girls in all their diversities in digital spaces.
The bodies in a joint statement bemoaned the prevailing anti-rights and anti-gender narratives
averred that the ugly narratives have become pervasive across the country.
According to them, the call becomes imperative because women and girls should have equal digital rights as men and boys.
Making the declaration, organisations, said they are aligning with millions around the world to commemorate the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD).
The statement acknowledged: “Many nations around the world observe IWD, which is a day on which women are celebrated for their accomplishments regardless of national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political boundaries.
“The day serves as a reminder to gear up efforts towards gender parity.
“The IWD is one of the important days to celebrate women’s achievements, educate and raise awareness for women’s equality, call for advancing women, and encourage the quickening of gender parity.”
According to them, the 2023 theme: “DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, “Embrace Equity” seeks to honor and celebrate the women and girls who are leading the way in advancing digital education and transformational technology.
The theme, they added is also in line with the key theme for the Commission on the Status of Women’s 2023, 67th Session (CSW-67), “Innovation and Technological Transformation, and Education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”
According to the statement, this is in line with IRIAD and The Electoral Hub’s commitments to promoting gender equity and inclusion, adding: “We celebrate and commend the diligence, courage, and performance of women candidates in the just concluded Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representative elections.
“We are particular about celebrating women’s achievements. We also encourage women candidate running for the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections to remain steadfast and committed in the race.
“We look forward to celebrating Senator Aisha Binani and Comrade Beatrice Itubo as governors-elect of Adamawa and Rivers States respectively.
“Going forward, we would like to see that the next administration implements the 35% affirmative action in its appointment process to promote gender equity and inclusion in the governance.
“Furthermore, we expect that actions and decisions taken by the government, take into cognizance gender dimension so as to protect the rights of women and girls.”
The organisations called on government and relevant stakeholders to create a conducive environment that protects the rights of women and girls in all their diversities in digital spaces and to combat the anti-rights and anti-gender narratives. We, therefore, urge citizens of our country to embrace equity as it would bring about national integration and development.