The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has called for stronger action to close gender inequality gaps in Nigeria, warning that women’s rights will remain limited unless supported by justice, political commitment and sustained institutional reforms.
The call was made in Abuja during the 2026 International Women’s Day media parley organised by UN Women under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action.”, where stakeholders highlighted challenges facing women and strategies to improve their representation and protection.
Speaking at the event, the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong, said gender inequality remains one of the most pressing human rights challenges globally, but also a key driver of sustainable development if properly addressed.
She noted that despite progress made over the years, justice for women must extend beyond policies and be experienced in everyday life, particularly in safety and freedom from violence.
“Rights mean little without justice. Justice must be lived and felt in women’s safety and freedom from fear. Nigeria still faces alarmingly high levels of gender-based violence, and too many survivors still struggle to access justice,” she said.
Eyong also raised concern about the growing threat of technology-facilitated abuse, stressing that justice must increasingly address violations occurring in digital spaces.
Highlighting the political participation gap, she said women currently occupy just 3.9 per cent of parliamentary seats in Nigeria, one of the lowest representation rates globally.
“Gender equality is fundamentally a matter of power, and in Nigeria that power gap remains stark. Inclusive governance cannot be achieved without greater representation of women,” she said.
She explained that UN Women is advocating the passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill, designed to guarantee stronger representation for women in legislative institutions.
According to her, the organisation is also working with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to expand the National Sexual Offender Database in order to improve accountability and prevent perpetrators of sexual violence from moving undetected across states.
“We are working closely with traditional and religious leaders to challenge harmful norms that sustain impunity and to advance zero tolerance for violence against women,” Eyong said.
She added that UN Women is supporting efforts to institutionalise gender-responsive budgeting at federal and state levels to ensure that public spending prioritises maternal health, girl-child education, women’s safety and economic empowerment.
“We must move from commitments to implementation, and from plans to meaningful impact. When we secure justice and rights for women, we secure Nigeria’s stability, prosperity and future,” she added.
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Shifting Social Norms
On her part, the Acting Deputy Country Representative for UN Women in Nigeria, Patience Ekeoba, emphasised the importance of shifting social norms to sustain women’s empowerment efforts. She noted that commemorations such as International Women’s Day help build momentum for advocacy and awareness.
“People will do things when they know that others are doing it. That is how social norms around behaviour change and women’s empowerment play out. This year’s theme, ‘Rights, Justice and Action for Women and Girls’, is a robust one that allows us to ensure every right women are entitled to is achieved. Global frameworks such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women provide a strong platform for action. We may not be where we want to be, but the hearts and minds of people are changing,” she said.
Special Seats Bill
Also speaking, the President of the League of Women Voters of Nigeria, Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, said advocacy efforts around the Special Seats Bill have intensified engagement with lawmakers across the country.
She revealed that, with support from UN Women and partners such as the League of Women Voters, the group established Special Seats Advocacy Gender Desks within the National Assembly to engage legislators directly.
“We secured the permission to set up the Special Seats Advocacy Gender Desks at the chamber of the National Assembly to engage legislators one-on-one and expose them to the nitty-gritty of the bill,” she said.
According to her, the advocacy has recorded significant support, particularly from northern lawmakers.
“It is very exciting to note that most of those who have supported the bill are from the north, predominantly from the northeast. More than 200 endorsements had been secured before the close of last year,” she said.
She also disclosed that youth lawmakers in the House of Representatives had been mobilised to champion the bill.
“A bloc of over 38 parliamentarians known as Youth in Parliament were inaugurated as champions on the floor of the House to engage their colleagues and convince them to vote for the bill,” she disclosed.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, she announced the launch of a new campaign tagged “5 for 1”, aimed at encouraging more women to contest political positions.
“Five women will be supported to run for one elected position so that we have more women in the race and give them the opportunity to step down for each other just as men often do,” she explained.
A representative of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Ifeanyi Chukwu Eze, said the organisation has expanded its advocacy for the Special Seats Bill across the country with the support of UN Women.
According to him, lessons from the unsuccessful attempt to pass the bill in 2021 informed new strategies to mobilise support. He disclosed that the advocacy network has now expanded from 18 states to 30 states, with plans to engage state legislatures on the proposed reforms.
“We realised that galvanising efforts across all the states strategically was needed to get the bill known and supported. One of the things we have started doing is establishing Gender Advocacy Desks across state Houses of Assembly to deepen understanding of the bill,” he said.
He added that the organisation is also mobilising grassroots support to influence lawmakers ahead of the vote.
“We are mobilising over 4,000 women across the 30 states to speak to their representatives and push for the passage and adoption of this bill,” he added.
Participants at the event urged the media to continue amplifying women’s voices, exposing injustices and holding institutions accountable in the push for gender equality.