By Victoria Onyisi
In her avowed commitment to ensuring gender equality through economic empowerment, the Federal Government has called on the international community to join hands with Africa through the provision of sustainable funding for the continent’s development strategies.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, made the call during the presentation of her statement at the ongoing Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68), holding in New York, USA.
The Minister informed that to ensure the realization of this objective, the Federal Government has created economic structures to facilitate job creation for women, youth the vulnerable and underprivileged in the society.
In a statement signed by the Ministry’s Head of Press and Publications, Mrs. Grace Njoku, quoted the Minister as saying that the Government of Nigeria, headed by President Bola Tinubu, in its determination to meet the overwhelming objectives of the session’s theme, which aims at accelerating the full and effective implementation of the various women frameworks and Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030, has created economic structures and infrastructure to facilitate investment which will hopefully contribute to job creation for the teeming young population, especially women.
The Minister, acknowledged that Nigeria is doubling her efforts towards gender equality and addressing the financial needs of women and girls in order to set a direct path for poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth, which will in turn contribute to the development of human capital and capability, particularly for the feminine gender
She said: “The Renewed Hope Agenda of the Administration is defined by our commitment to unleashing the country’s full economic potentials by focusing on job creation, access to capital for small and large businesses, inclusiveness, and the rule of law and in fact against hunger, poverty and corruption.”
She added that it is in recognition of this fact that the present administration is poised towards changing the narratives with special attention to the vulnerable women through strategic programme of sustainable empowerment, trainings and skills acquisition alongside traditional awareness creation and campaign programmes
Kennedy-Ohanenye, informed further that to ensure the acceleration of the Ministry’s goal, vision and mandate, a women advancement blueprint on changing the Narratives was developed. *The Ministry further procured machines and empowered women through various initiatives to boost their sources of income*, the Minister added.
She added that in realization of the importance of the girl-child education in the growth and development of the country, a national strategy to end child marriage has been put in place through multi-sectoral approaches to halt harmful practices against them while also strengthening its coordination.
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the main UN organs within the United Nations which promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women. This year’s edition which commenced on Monday, March 11, will be rounded off on Friday 22, 2024.