Senior Programme Advisor, Pathfinder International, Nigeria Dr. Sakina Bello , Founder and president, The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Toyin Saraki; Country Director, Pathfinder International, Dr. Amina Dorayi and Founder, She Forum Africa, Inimfon Etuk at the event. They have also noted that more women should be made to sit on decision-making tables, take up more appointive and elective political positions to enhance their voice and amplify their needs.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister for Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen said that without mainstreaming gender, there would be no meaningful development. “When I came into office, the Violence Against Persons act was only in nine states and the child rights act in 12 states, I worked round the states and today 33 states have domesticated them, but the problem still remains.”
Founder, Wellbeing Foundation Africa and wife of former senate president, Toyin Saraki stressed that we are at a crisis point for children out of school, for nutrition and hunger, for high inflation and low earnings, and so on this basis we all should come together to drive policies to ensure that every political aspirant have this conversation.
For Country director, Pathfinder International, Dr. Amina Dorayi, we want to have stakeholders interested in the gender agenda and who are at the fore front of ending violence against women and girls including the private sector, to promote and intensify, strengthen and amplify solution oriented advocacy around women and girls agency using the right perspective.
While Director, Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria, Dr. Salma Anas, who represented the Minister for Health, Osagie Ehanire stressed that for health indices in any country, the first to be observed is of mothers. “Women are still dying as a result of pregnancy, childbirth and post pregnancy complications and so it depicts a weak health system. It tells us that women are not developed, empowered or have access to quality healthcare services.
“We also must recognize the place of mentorship, coaching and advocacy to help women’s advancement. We have had women who finish their tenure and insist that a woman takes over; this is a form of advocacy that sustains the place and rise of women. We must have succession planning, and push for an effective deliberate plan to advance our course.”