NIGERIAN WOMEN CHARTER OF DEMAND ADOPTED BY ALL PARTICIPANTS AT THE 2019 WOMANIFESTO CONFERENCE HELD AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR WOMEN DEVELOPMENT ABUJA FROM NOVEMBER 27 TO 29 ( For Records & Referencing).

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020 PublisherPublisher 0 Comment

Over 2000 Nigerian women from all works of life including market women, women collectives, women led and women centered civil society organisations, faith based organizations, community based associations, women entrepreneurs, women professionals, civil servants, public servants, women within the labour work force, women in the media and social media influencers had from Wednesday November 27 to date 29th November 2019 at the National Center for Women Development  met to dialogue over the myriads of problems and challenges facing  Nigerian women and girls in a national conference titled #The NigeriaWomenWant, also known as “WOMANIFESTO 2019”.

“WOMANIFESTO 2019” is a coherently articulated set of demands that will galvanise into a push for Action to actualize Nigerian Women Charter of Demands on all Institutions of government, the Private sector and society at large.

The second of its kind in the history of women’s movement in Nigeria, 2019 Womanifesto sought to enhance the voice, participation and protection of Nigerian Women and girls. The core themes and focus for the three day conference were  

  1. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
  2. WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
  3. WOMEN AND THE ECONOMY
  4. SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN NIGERIA
  5. WOMEN PEACE AND SECURITY
  6. EDUCATION HUMAN CAPITAL ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT.

In setting the stage for kick start the 2019 National women Dialogue, the conference chairperson, Erelu Bisi Fayemi. Wife of the Executive Governor of Ekiti State and Founder Africa women Development Foundation said,

“This event brings together activists, policy makers, researchers, grassroots leaders, politicians, faith-based leaders and so on. We come together with our various identities as grassroots, middle-class, elite, and ruling-class women, irrespective of age, education, religion, ethnicity, marital status or physical ability. Our locations are different. Our experiences are different. Our platforms are different. Our understanding of the issues might be different. Yet, there is one thing we all have in common.

WE ARE TIRED.  

WE ARE TIRED of saying the same thing over and over again

WE ARE TIRED of nursing our raped and battered children back to health

WE ARE TIRED of mourning our sisters beaten to death by their spouses

WE ARE TIRED of searching for our children who have been snatched away from our arms and have not returned

WE ARE TIRED of singing, dancing and clapping for political leaders only to end up with nothing to show for it

WE ARE TIRED of not being able to go to our farms for fear of being raped

WE ARE TIRED of being tortured and dispossessed when our husbands die

WE ARE TIRED of watching our sisters die while giving birth

WE ARE TIRED of living in such poverty and desperation that we resort to the only tool  we have to survive

 WE ARE TIRED of being harassed, intimidated and even burnt alive because we dared to raise our voices

WE ARE TIRED of sex for grades, sex for jobs, sex for food, sex for appointments

WE ARE TIRED of seeing the driver, gateman, Teacher, Policeman, Politician, Bank Manager, University Lecturer, Pastor, Imam, Traditional ruler all go scot free when they rape us or our children.

I want a Nigeria safe for all women and girls.

A country that nurtures the girl child to a meaningful future’.

‘A Nigeria where the voice of girls and women are heard. Where women and girls are seen as part of the development and growth of the nation. Where women are given leadership roles and responsibilities. Where women are not seen only as meant for cooking and child-bearing’.

‘A Nigeria where the rights of our women and girls will always be protected by the Government.

‘A Nigeria where whosoever molests our women and girls will be brought to book’

‘A Nigeria where women and girls will be able to reach their full potential’

‘A Nigeria where cancer will be understood as not an attack from witches’

‘A Nigeria where ladies will be given employment without ‘trade by barter’

‘A Nigeria where our women and girls are treated with due respect and not as sex slaves.

 A Nigeria where our women and girls will not be discriminated against in the corridors of power.

A Nigeria where our women and girls place will not be limited to the kitchen.

A Nigeria where one day a female President, State Governors and Senate President will emerge’

These are the comments people left on the Facebook wall of Her Excellency, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Wife, Ekiti State Governor when she put up a flyer advertising the Nigerian Women’s Dialogue scheduled for November 27th-29th in Abuja, ‘The Nigeria we Want’. #TheNigeriaWomenWant.

From Development partners, to members of the conference strategy and planning team, there was a consensus that the national women dialogue was long overdue and that Nigerian women needed a safe space to speak truth to power on issues affecting their fundamental human rights, right to exist in a safe and peaceful country and right to pursue decent means of livelihood devoid of discrimination’s and violence.

Arising from the conference Nigerian women resolved in this charter of demand segmented into short term immediate Action, and long term interventions for the government, Private sector and civil society organizations agreed to the following:

That the federal government of Nigeria Led by His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari should as a matter of urgency and urgent national Interest

  • Declare a state of emergency on all forms of Violence and Discrimination against Women and Girls in Nigeria.

This declaration should be followed promptly with the presentation of an executive bill calling on the 9th National Assembly to expedite Action towards the prompt passage of the recently introduced Gender & Equal Bill and a Bill for an Act for the Domestication of the Convention for the Domestication of All forms of Discrimination and Violence Against women in Nigeria (CEDAW) which Nigeria signed without reservation in 1985 and ratified same without reservation in 1989.

  • Nigerian women demand that our charter of demand presented to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development Dame Pauline Tallen on Friday November 29 2019, be presented to the Federal Executive Council as soon as possible.

Nigerian Women Long term Demands include but not limited to:

  1. Government: That governments in Nigeria at all levels implement laws that will end all forms of discriminations and violence against women and girls as well as persons with disabilities.
  2. Government at all levels in federal, state and local should domesticate all laws aimed at stopping all forms of discrimination and violence against women and set up monitoring committees that will include credible civil society organizations to monitor implementation and compliance at federal, state and local levels.
  3. Provide dedicated funding for women’s political participation aimed at achieving 35% affirmative action in elective and appointive positions by 2023,
  4. Set up as a matter of urgency and national interest investigation on the gruesome murder of Mrs, Salome Abuh during the Kogi State gubernatorial elections and all other politically motivated murders and violence perpetrated against women and girls in Nigeria as a deterrent to political violence against women;
  5. Implement forth with the National Action Plan (NAP) on Resolution 1325, while also training the responders to early warning signs of violence at all levels;
  6. Provide Services Shelters and trauma / crisis Centres for victims of violence at all levels. 

CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS (CSOs):

  • Formalize into a movement  The Nigerian women Charter of Demand despite our diversity, differences in style and strategy to adopt areas of consensus and demand accountability from all stakeholders on them;
  • Support groups to Localise, domesticate and translate into local languages The Nigerian Women Charter of Demand 2019  such that every woman, every girl and every person living with disabilities will know and understand our demand from Nigeria and Nigerians as a way of achieving our demand;
  • Develop good data, reporting hub that would feed into 2020 SDG Reporting especially on goals 1, 2, 3 4, 5 6 7 and 8.
  • Study on the cost of  Gender Based Violence (GBV) and make same public;
  • Popular demand for less theft of the people’s resources which breeds inequality and appeal to governments at all levels to deploy people centered development that will impact positively the lives of all Nigerians;
  • Demand immediate release of all those incarcerated especially all those Nigerian courts have granted bail but are still held hostage and incarcerated

C. The Private sector:

  • Prioritize as a matter of urgency and company policy the doctrine of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) that encourages giving back to the society from private sector earnings on profit after tax;
  • Commit to resource mobilization and support through funding violence against women (VAW) in work place while also providing equal opportunity for women and men in the work place.
  • Provide funding for women in politics.

FROM THE CONFERENCE THEMATIC AREAS NIGERIAN WOMEN AGREED ON THE FOLLOWING:

  1. WOMEN’S POLITICAL PARTICIPATION:

Nigerian women demand that women should form their own forums/political parties if gate keepers prevent them from joining existing groups on a level playing field;

Nigerian women should keep their heads high in terms of morals by maintaining decorum and high moral standards at all times in and out of public space. They must not be found wanting or morally bankrupt;

Nigerian women should engage the grass roots always and carry them along in their plans and programs as all politics are local;

Nigerian women demand legislation through constitutional reforms and affirmative action to close the gender disparity and gaps that currently exist in appointive and elective positions across all levels of government at the community, local government, state and federal levels;

  • WOMEN & ECONOMY – CHARTER DEMANDS (WOMANIFESTO)

RESOLUTIONS FROM WOMEN ECONOMIC GROUP

It was presented that there are 41 million Small scale businesses in Nigeria and 98% are operating within micro level. 65% of these businesses are owned by women and are individualistic by nature and likely to fold up at the departure of the owner of the owner.

That women are battling myriad of problems in their path to running businesses effectively, these include, lack of education, lack of adequate information and capacity access needed information for their businesses, challenges in sourcing required raw materials on her own, raising the capital from friends, family and even loan sharks to set up a business. After which, government regulatory bodies are waiting to take her on. It was discussed and agreed as follows

  1. Women need to know  more about FEDWIM which is Federation of Women  Associations in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, it is a platform made up of women empowerment focused groups across economic sectors, BMOs, CBOs, FBOs, SHGs, SOCIAL STATUS, NGOs ay National, State and LGAs.
  2. FEDWIM is open to all women seeking financial empowerment as the body is now working with FSS2020 to mobilize 10m women to participate in a 3 year Nigerian women Financial inclusion project, leveraging on 60 identified national groups, 100 in each state/FCT and 200 in each LGA
  3. With the financial inclusion, 6.4m are targeted for support by the year 2020.This also means that there is space for every woman and with the teamwork between Central Bank of Nigeria and FEDWIM  to  embark on account opening  for women in a state through  the six geo-political zones in Nigeria ( Bayelsa, Ondo, Gombe, Kano, Ebonyi and Nasarawa states) as pilot program .
  4. Under the Agriculture, food and nutrition, it was discussed that rural women should join hands with urban women to better understand the value chain in agriculture
  5. Women were urged to adopt mechanization. To obtain small machinery that could be used to process under hygienic conditions farm produce into affordable products.
  6. That capacity building for women from henceforth  should be buoyant, in-depth trainings accompanied by training manuals for participants to be well equipped  to step down the trainings to others  and while they are being trained, there must be partnership between the trainer and trainees to  ensure technical support is given to avoid failure and high attrition rate of women owned businesses in Nigeria;
  7. Women in Management and Business added that for women to benefit from opportunities available, they need to have technical know-how and to achieve this, women need to have good structures, not businesses where family members and minors are Directors.
  8. That women need to identify and take advantage of free online trainings offered, identify good networks and network with others, investigate and identify good partners and form strategic partnership but document the terms of partnership. This is to enable sustainable growth in business, as working alone can be a hindrance to growth.
  9. NIRSAL Micro Finance bank is the finance bank that government uses through Central Bank to reach the poor in all LGAs. It is only 9 months old but already has roots in many LGAs across the nation. It is strictly in charge of AGSMEIS and has the mandate to reach far and wide to meet the demands of women with small, medium and micro businesses.
  10. Women should organize themselves and take advantage of the available funds for production as there are little or no women groups accessing the loans.
  11. Women should protect their patent rights and where they lack the funds to promote it, could sell to someone who has the capacity to do so. Women could also approach NIRSAL Micro finance bank where they can to access funds available for such

It was advised that women should ensure they have well-structured businesses, look for technical partners, those who will strengthen their weaknesses, and most importantly ask questions from those who know to help grow their businesses all the time.

Women and the economy thematic group noted that women in Nigeria constitute almost 50% of the Nigerian population and contribute immensely to the economy both in the formal & informal sector. However they are highly underrepresented in economic policies and opportunities across sectors.

THE FOLLOWING KEY CHALLENGES WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE GROUP AS LIMITING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS IN NIGERIA:

A). Most Nigerian women in business lack requisite structures necessary for growth and institutionalization of sustainable businesses. This includes legally, statutorily binding business registration at local, state and federal levels. This keeps majority of these businesses highly informal.

Embedded in the lack of structures is also the lack of qualified staff to effectively run the business. Most employees of women led businesses in Nigeria are family members, friends or distant relations. Most times this is not healthy for the growth of the business.

B). Most women owned and managed businesses in Nigeria lack technical knowhow necessary to grow their businesses. These include for those in agriculture, not having adequate information on the quality and type of soil they plant their seeds, quality and type of seedlings that would produce maximum yield. The result is that often, the outcomes of business decisions taken from lack of adequate technical knowledge and information impact the outcomes of the businesses negatively and lead to high morbidity.

C) Most women owned and led businesses in Nigeria lack adequate information, skills sets and knowledge needed for a successful business.  This is because most of the trainings and capacity building initiatives lack in-depth analysis and understanding needed for qualitative change. Qualitative business trainings are usually not cheap and can hardly be afforded by women led and women owned small businesses.

WAYFORWARD:

A). Women in business in Nigeria must learn to form clusters and work with other women. They must form networks and support base for one another. This is a sustainable and global best practice Nigerian women must adopt if they will succeed in their business.

B) Nigerian government at all levels – local, state and federal levels must commit through this charter of demand to provide enabling environment and adequate regulatory framework for women led and owned business to thrive in Nigeria.

FOR WOMEN IN ENTREPRENEURSHIPTHE FOLLOWING CHALLENGES were identified:

High business failure and attrition rate, weak business structures, funding opportunities, lack of technical knowhow, inability to scale up businesses, unfavorable government policies, lack of ownership of assets, lack of access to relevant training & advisory services.

THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS AND (DEMANDS) WERE MADE FOR WOMEN IN ENTERPRENUERSHIP

1. Allocation of annual business grants for women and not loans

2. Allocation of land/facilities for Regional Enterprise Development Centers to be set up by women to provide simplified training & advisory services for women in business to be run by gender focused organizations.

3. Ease of doing business in Nigeria to be a continuous priority focus for the government

NIGERIAN WOMEN ON BOARDS AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES IN PRIVATE SECTOR LED BUSINESSES AT REGIONAL & NATIONAL LEVELS:

The Women and economy team observed that less than 12% of Nigerian women are currently serving on the Boards of publicly quoted companies in Nigeria hence limiting the contribution of women to approving financial decisions, policy formulation and strategic decisions which work immensely towards nation building.

The challenges emanating from this scenario for Women include that there are

1. Organizational & cultural constraints in appointing women as Board members.

2. Inexperience to serve on Boards

3. High gender imbalance in Nigerian Board membership

RECOMMENDATIONS (DEMANDS)

1. Mandatory gender quotas and inclusion in the provision of codes of corporate governance for Nigerian publicly quoted companies.

2. Implementation of gender quotas for Nigerian companies and stringent penalties for noncompliance by Relevant Regulatory Bodies

3. Supportive CEO advocacy efforts and succession planning policies to maintain gender balance on Boards.

WOMEN IN PROCUREMENT

The group also noted that there is no existing gender target in Nigeria to ensure equal opportunities in the allocation of government contracts. Affirmative procurement will make procurement processes more inclusive for women and other disadvantaged individuals.

The Challenges for Women in procurement include

Stiff eligibility criteria for women in securing public procurement contracts and an existing patriarchy in securing procurement contracts.

RECOMMENDATIONS (DEMANDS)

1. Affirmative procurement & inclusive procurement processes

2. Procurement units of governments at all levels should be supported to build capacity to collect, process and analyse sex aggregated data on procurement  

3. Sustainable targeted financial intervention & assistance for long term participation of women in procurement

WOMEN IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR

The challenges for Women were identified to include

Cultural, traditional, religious and family barriers to decent sources of income

RECOMMENDATIONS (DEMANDS)

1. Free basic numeracy and skills development for women in the informal sector to enhance financial accountability and economic empowerment

2. Easier access to funds and advisory services within reach.

3. The design and implementation of gender-specific measures in all strategic areas to provide decent work, productive income and social protection.

  • SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN NIGERIA

The team identified 4 levels of Intervention on SRHR Issues

  • Mindset Re-orientation of perception and Behavior Change on issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR);
  • Availability of inclusive SRHR services irrespective of geographical location in both urban and rural areas;
  • Access to 24-hours inclusive SRHR services irrespective of age, geographical location, marital status, disability status, personality, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status;
  • Improvement of SRHR services including quality tools and personnel for effective service delivery for everyone including persons living with disabilities, sex workers, drug dependent persons and persons with drug addiction without stigmatization and labeling;
  • Reduce the age of access to reproductive health rights information and service from 18 years to 12 years so that teenagers can access to SRHR services from an informed position;
  • Break the culture of silence for perpetrators and victims of SRHR abuses in our society. Effective communication of what SRHR is and what is not will go a long way in breaking the culture of silence including also stopping the moralization SRHR abuses which must be sin as a crime against humanity;
  • Institute through the passage of relevant policies and laws comprehensive sexuality education in the curriculum of all schools in Nigeria from preprimary, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions;  
  • Every Nigerian women and girl should have access to comprehensive SRHR irrespective of their status including access to mental health and psychological and psychosocial services in all the primary health care facilities in Nigeria;
  • Increased funding for health based on 15% UNESCO recommendations and the Mapotu protocol of the African and Peoples Charter on Right to Health;
  • Abolish forth with all polices and laws that impede access to safe abortion and universal health coverage including integrated mental health and Health systems strengthening.

Issues discussed at the 4 levels of intervention

  1. Culture of silence and shyness around sex, poor intergenerational communication, misinformation about sex, mystification of sex
  2. Lack of sex education in homes, schools and general community
  3. Lack of youth-friendly and gender-sensitive health centers
  4. High age of access to SRH services by adolescents pegged at 18 years
  5. Poor funding and lack of political will towards improving health centers that provide SRH services
  6. Poor attitude and skills of health workers – judgmental attitudes and insensitivity to SRH needs especially towards adolescents and young people, unmarried and cohabiting people, people living with disability, LGBT, sex workers and people who use drugs; perpetuation of religious, traditional and community norms, projection of individual moral beliefs over professionalism and provision of SRH services
  7. Poor access, services and health workers for maternal health especially in the rural areas
  8. Poor attention and inclusiveness of older and menopausal women in SRH services
  9. Lack of integrated mental health services
  10. Poor female mentorship and relationship especially between the older women and younger women
  11. Poor utilization and uptake of family planning services.
  12. Pegging of the number of children that men can have for population control
  13. Lack of abortion and post-abortion services especially for victims of rape, incest and women whose pregnancies have become a danger to them
  14. Early child and forced marriage
  15. Inadequate girl-child education

CHARTER OF DEMAND FOR SRHR – WHAT WOMEN WANT

  1. Age-appropriate Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to be implemented and made accessible in all educational institutions and special provisions made for out-of-school children.
  2. Train health workers and improve service delivery in primary health centers and public health facilities to be youth-friendly, gender-responsive and truly inclusive.
  3. Include and cater for people living with disabilities in the provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services in all primary health centers and public health facilities
  4. Lower adolescents’ age of access (Age of Consent) to sexual and reproductive health services from age 18 years to 14 years
  5. Provide the most vulnerable adolescents and young people with access to sexual and reproductive health services through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF)
  6. Increase funding and political will for sexual and reproductive health services
  7. Domesticate Maputo Protocol in Nigeria
  8. Improve maternal health services in all Primary Health Centers (PHC) and public health service centers
  9. Provide safe abortion services especially for victims of rape, incest and those whose pregnancies have become a danger to their lives
  10. Abolish early child and forced marriage, and provide free and mandatory education for all Nigerian girls.
  • WOMEN PEACE & SECURITY:

Why Women Peace & Security

  • Globally and in Nigeria, Women make up over 50% of the Population
  • Women are the primary socialization  agent of children who hold the future of the country
  • The 1999 Constitution as amended provides for the equal rights of men and women (Sec 42 sub section2
  • Nigeria is a member of the global community that believes in “Leave no one Behind”.
  • Women and children suffer violence both in peace time (Domestic), and conflict or war time differently from the men e.g. (Kogi case), but are nearly totally excluded from all peace processes.  No woman is safe anywhere; home, school, market, office e.t.c.
  • We always have unique perspective to bring to the peace table and its our right to be heard.
  • In 2000, the United Nations for the 1st time recognized women’s contributions and potentials in promoting Peace &Security, and came up with the UN Resolution 1325 and now 9 others to strengthen.
  • In 2020 the resolution will be 20 years and yet women suffer Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) unabated.  
  • Efforts include those at the UN, AU, UNOWAS, ECOWAS to ensure the total inclusion of women in matters of National Peace and Security.
  • Women and Children, persons living with disability, not protected. Monitoring and evaluation Nigeria signed on 1325 developed NAP but implementation is inadequate.
  • A Nigeria where women and children are protected from SGBV both in Peace and conflict situation.
  • Where women feel the policies especially the electoral process safe enough to fully participate and lead in politics without being threatened, intimidated, molested or killed.  
  • A Nigeria where Peaceful elections is the norm and not violent.

The women in Peace & Security thematic area agreed to the following charter of demand:

  • A Nigeria where women and children are protected from SGBV both in Peace and conflict situation.
  • Where women feel the policies especially the electoral process is safe enough  for them to fully participate and lead in politics without being threatened, intimidated, molested or killed.  
  • A Nigeria where Peaceful elections is the norm and not violent.
  • A Nigeria where no Woman and children live longer than necessary in hostile and life threatening IDP camps with no means of livelihood, and no hope of ever leaving nor their children ever going back to regular schools. Housing is a basic right of citizens in our Country.
  • A Nigeria where all perpetrators of violence against women (VAW) and especially rape violators and killers are severely punished to serve as deterrent to other rapist. Criminalization of violence especially against Women.
  • A Nigeria where every State has a functional Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) Law that is fully implemented.
  • A Nigeria where every State has a functional Peace Architecture whose mandate is the prevention of violence, especially VAW building of Peace and Conflict Resolution
  • A Nigeria where government is accountable on all women and girls international, region, sub region, and National instruments signed or ratified e.g. CEDAW, Resolution 1325, 2493 and other related ones.
  • A Nigeria where both formal and informal security agencies takes the protection of Women and Girls, PLWD,  from all  forms of violence as priority and see blaming  of victim as an offence.

The Women in Peace and security thematic area also agreed on the following:

  1. Knowledge is power: Charity begins at home, Everyone should be informed of the need and importance of peace and security at home, in the work place and society at large.
  2. Education
  3. Sensitization of women on WPS and the need for their participation
  4. Teaching children how to be security conscious and participate in home peace processes
  5. Engender peace from the home front
  6. Foster peace culture and security education in school curriculum
  7. Sensitize all stakeholder including husbands, community leaders, religious leaders on WPS, Civil servants, political parties, National Orientation agency

B. Women should join community Development Associations and actively participate and if they are unable to they should from there learn to organize themselves peacefully;

C. Confidence Building for women and girls on education and Psychological elevation

D. De-patriachialization of Women and Girls

E Strong Advocacy to relevant stakeholders and gate keepers for Women’s participation in local traditional council meetings

F. LEGISLATIONS & POLICIES:

Sensitization of women on their rights

Implementation of laws to promote involvement in women peace and security NAP

Implementation of peace policies in institutions like police officers

Adoption of relevant laws by all

Remove statutes / time based on religion, rape issues like Dokolo

Proper contextualization and interpretation of religious injunctions on women

Enlightenment of religious leaders.

G. STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONS

Media: jingles, short drama especially in local languages Radio and Tv

H. Deliberate Recruitment of Women as security agents in the formal and informal sectors

Strong statement to relevant government Officials on  the need top release Alice Nagladah, Leah Sharibu and the remaining 91 Chibok Girls still in Boko Haram Captivity

  1. Mentoring of Women as women Peace mentors to solve problems in their local communities including family disputes

J.  INFORMATION SHARING platforms and strategic communications

K. Continuous demand for transparency and accountability against internally displaced persons situation especially resettlement and reintegration and missing persons

L. Women’s participation in politics so as to push for women centered laws and policies at all levels

M. JUSTICE: Truth and reconciliation on gender related crimes during conflicts

N. Establish Toll free Numbers

  • EDUCATION HUMAN CAPITAL ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2018, Nigeria was as one of the countries vulnerable to climate change conditions and the negative impact of climate change largely on women is a threat to the social and economic realities of people living in Nigeria and its neighbouring countries. Over 70% of Nigerian women are involved in agriculture and other economic activities and worthy of note is the reliance on rainfed agricultural practices, pastoral and nomadic animal husbandry activities, which are all dependent on favourable climate conditions and vulnerable negative impact of climate change.

In this regards, the Nigerian women call on the government to as a matter of urgency to ensure the;

  • Integration of gender considerations into adaptation, mitigation, capacity-building, Action for Climate Empowerment, technology and finance policies.
  • Energy consumption in Nigeria is rapidly increasing as a result of ongoing economic and population growth. Records of consumption patterns signal an alarm for the country’s future economic development and energy security. We therefore recommend the promotion and implementation of energy efficiency programs in supply transmission demanding and emphasizing women needs.
  • Mainstream gender-sensitivity into energy and climate-related policies and projects require a paradigm shift that recognizes women’s contributions to climate change responses and promotes the development of new opportunities for women in the energy sector.
  • Both women and men are involved in the production of agricultural and domestic waste. Likewise, they are also negatively affected by waste pollution increasing health risks and decreasing quality of life. However, women due to their role as health keepers suffers a double burden, as they also carry much of the costs incurred through looking after the sick, made ill by poor waste management, therefore, women’s support of and contribution to waste management is essential.
  • Government and other stakeholders should as a matter of urgency put policies and programs on reducing gender including people who are differently abled inequalities in WASH, drawing on evidence and learning on Gender, Hygiene and Sanitation.
  • Mainstream and create awareness of the dangers Gender in Chemicals Management and persistent organic pollutants in policies and policies
  • Nigerian Government, UN Agencies, and other organizations, involved in disaster and climate risk management should collect and maintain data disaggregated by sex, age and other key characteristics;
  • The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Women CSOs should be funded to establish common statistical frameworks to assess the degree of vulnerability of women, men and other social groups based on data that is already collected and may not be sex-disaggregated;
  • The National Action Plan on Gender and Climate, which has just been completed should be fully funded by the government, donors and other stakeholders across the country for its implementation for adoption and domesticated in each state.
  • DEMAND FROM VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS THEME

 The core demand is to declare a national emergency on VAWG by government

End state sanctioned violence against women and girls

Integrate mental health assessment into primary health care services for easy access for women and girls living in rural areas.  This includes training of nurses, counselors and therapist to be able to provide these services at all levels especially in addressing issues around depression that is associated with violence including post natal disorders

We should frame our language to be political as possible.

Understanding that violence is driven by ideology which is based on using it to control women. We as activist need to build political knowledge from a feminist narrative to counter this ideology that drives violence

We talked about women’s wellbeing, self-care, taking care of caregivers, frontline managers, etc. to avoid mental breakdown. This also includes for survivors of violence. Thus we need support system for each other.

Our approach must be multidimensional. We recognize that violence is driven by patriarchy, thus reinvents itself, we must be able to deal with it from various perspectives and approach

Breaking the culture of silence through our strategies

#Womanifesto19

REFERENCES & CONTRIBUTIONS:

  • FEDWIM
  • WIMBIZ
  • Agriculture, food and Nutrition
  • NIRSAL Micro Finance Bank
Tags:

Related Posts