The UN Women has emphasized the need for more private sector investment in the empowerment of women and girls in Nigeria.
This was the stance of the United Nations (UN) Women in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, during a conference tagged “Regional Dialogue with Private Sector on the Need to Advance Gender Equality and Women Empowerment”.
The dialogue which was attended by representatives from Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Sénégal, and Sierra Leone was an advocacy engagement to herald the 16 Days of Activism 2023.
The advocacy campaign, which has its theme “UNITE! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls”, was a call on citizens to show how much they care about ending violence against women and girls by sharing the actions they are taking to create a world free from violence towards women.
According to UN Women, Nigeria is currently rated the highest in West and Central Africa in the number of signatories to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), showcasing the private sector’s commitment to implementing practices and allocating resources to enhance Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE).
In her welcome address, the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, stated that the private sector has a critical role to play in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
“UN Women has collaborated with the private sector to create an enabling environment for women to access their full potential as economic actors, driving gender-responsive procurement, increasing access to finance for women business owners, and addressing violence against women and girls,” she stated.
For her part, the Founder and Chairperson of Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), Mrs. Amina Oyabola, stressed the need for immediate action and collective partnership among government, civil society, and the private sector to address the monumental challenges in funding to achieve gender equality by 2030.
“Realizing true gender equality demands resolute and immediate action.
Monumental challenges, especially in funding, persist.
“The additional investment needed for achieving gender equality by 2030 is estimated at USD 360 billion per year. A collective and active partnership among government, civil society, and the private sector is indispensable for tangible progress,” she reiterated.
The dialogue examined the efforts to enhance achievement of the 25 Million Dollar-Private Sector-Led Gender Based Violence (GBV) Fund launched in September 2023 during an executive visit by the UN Women’s Regional Director, Maxime Houinato.
The regional dialogue also featured panel discussions on strengthening collaboration with the private sector towards accelerating the goals of gender equality.
These shared experiences aimed to inspire sustained investment in advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment and preventing violence against women and girls.
Drama and cultural dance presentations were the highlights of the event.
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