As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark Zero Discrimination Day, a nongovernmental organisation, Nigeria Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS (NINERELA+), has called for more awareness creation amongst women to end discrimination in society.
The National Coordinator of NINERELA+, Amber Erinmwinhe, while speaking at an event to mark the day in Abuja, said that women perpetrate most of the discriminatory acts against fellow women.
She noted that women still practice some old traditions that shows signs of discrimination against other women all over Nigeria.
“Women need a lot of orientation especially those in rural communities where some old practices still exist. In some communities where widowhood practices still take place, it is usually the women that will shave a fellow woman’s hair. It is the woman who also takes children for circumcision,” Ms Erinmwinhe said.
Ms Erinmwinhe also said that women need to unlearn some old traditions that they hold on to, if the country is to end discrimination.
She called for more awareness for men and women for Nigeria to achieve zero discrimination.
According to the Programmes Manager of the group, Mr. Ikenna Nwakamma, everyone has a role to play in ending discrimination in society.
“The Family has a role to play in training a child, at the community level there are barriers and practices that are discriminatory and at the government level, there is a need to ensure equitable access to opportunities and resources,” he said.
Mr Nwakamma explained that the group engages various stakeholders including faith and community leaders, as part of its effort to achieve zero discrimination in the country.
Zero Discrimination Day is celebrated on March 1 every year to promote equality in practice and before the law. The day aims to create global solidarity towards ending all forms of discriminations.
Zero Discrimination Day 2021 aims at highlighting the urgent need to take action to end the inequalities surrounding income, sex, age, health status, occupation, disability, sexual orientation, drug use, gender identity, race, class, ethnicity and religion that are prevalent around the world.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), “inequality is growing for more than 70 per cent of the global population, exacerbating the risk of division and hampering economic and social development.”
Participants at the event gave their commitments to end gender discrimination in their localities.
Lateefah Ibrahim
