Beijing plus 20 and the Nigerian woman
The 59th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women opened in New York on March 2, 2015. The two-week event provides the entire world another unique opportunity for stock-taking on what nations have achieved 20 years after the historic 1995 Beijing Conference. Nigeria has done a lot to improve the status of women and girls in the last two decades as women have begun to play more critical roles in decision-making processes in matters relating to economic, political and social advancement in the country.
Both the Federal Government and civil society groups have brought out publications documenting progress in the 12 critical areas of the Beijing platform for action: women and poverty; education and training of women; health; violence against women; economic empowerment; women in power and decision making; environment; armed conflict; human rights of women; institutional mechanism for the advancement of women; media; and the girl-child.
A major effort by two of Nigeria’s non-governmental organisations (NGOs) highlights how President Goodluck Jonathan surpassed the United Nations 30 percent affirmative action in the appointment of women as heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) between
2011 and 2015. Their review is titled ‘Nigeria’s Recognisable Steps towards Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls – A Beijing Plus 20 NGO Review Publication (2010-2015)’. It was researched, written and published by Centa for Organisational Development (COD Nigeria) and Equity Advocates founded by Nkiru Celine Okoro and Ene Ede, respectively.
The authors state triumphantly that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the Jonathan presidency made it possible for women to occupy “senior and very strategic ministerial positions in petroleum, finance, defence, education, environment, to mention but a few, as cabinet ministers”. Okoro and Ede posit that President Jonathan’s support of the cause of women and girls has had significant multiplier effect at global levels, such that Diezani Alison-Madueke is now the first female president of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and first female secretary-general of Oil and Gas Exporting Countries.
Other gains included in the publication now circulating in New York include the appointment of the first female chief justice of the Federation, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar (now retired). Also highlighted is the appointment, in April 2014, of Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa as president of the Federal Court of Appeal. There is also the presence of two female Supreme Court judges – Justice Mary Ukaego Peter Odili and Justice Kudirat Motomomori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun.
The authors also draw attention to the appointment of the first female Nigerian permanent representative to the UN, Joy Ogwu, a professor, as well as Salamatu Suleiman, first Nigerian woman to serve as ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security (PAPS).
Progress is not limited to the civilian population as the 63rd Regular Combatant Course (63RC) of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) saw the admission of the first 20 female officer cadets as full regular combatants in the Army, Navy and Air Force in 2012. Significantly, Itunu Hotonu was appointed the first female rear admiral in Africa, while 28-year-old Blessing Liman made history as the first female pilot in the Nigerian Air Force. Also, for the first time, a president recognised ICT as a core aspect of our economy and appointed a female minister, Omobola Johnson, to head the ministry.
The authors state that there are currently 10 female advisers to the president, 12 permanent secretaries, 16 female ambassadors, 16 heads of tertiary institutions, 26 heads of parastatals and federal agencies, and 29 members of federal commissions in service – the best record in Nigeria’s history.
We commend the collaborative effort of COD Nigeria and Equity Advocates and call on other human rights activists to embark on similar projects that focus on some of the other critical areas of the Beijing platform for action. Such publications can go a long way in drawing attention to the enormous work that remains to be done to improve the status of women and girls in Nigeria.