ActionAid Nigeria in partnership with Global Affairs Canada recently launched a Women Voice and Leadership (WVL) Project to talk about the rights of women and girls in order to achieve gender equality in the country.
The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) Ene Obi at the launch of WVL in Abuja lamented that women and girls were disproportionately disadvantaged in all spheres of life as gender discrimination is still woven through legal and social norms.
She said inequality, poverty and violence is evidenced in the increased reporting of related incidences of discrimination against women and girls in the country.
While noting that the issues continue to trail them, she said AAN will continue to work to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication.
“We connect the work we do at the community level with broader efforts and struggles for justice at every level to make the greatest contribution towards a just, equitable and sustainable world”
“We therefore, prioritize the leadership of women and young people, especially those living in poverty and exclusion in our efforts to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication,” she said.
A United States Aid for International Development (USAID) report indicates that it would take another 170 years to close the gender equality gap.
The five-year project, to be implemented in Enugu, Bauchi, Kebbi, Cross River, Lagos and Kwara states, would address women empowerment and economic justice, women in conflicts, gender, sexual-based violence and participation in governance.
Also, the former Minister of Women Affairs, Josephine Anenih, lauded the initiative saying ActionAid is known for its work to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication with strong biases for women’s rights.
She said there was still so much to be done to bridge the gender equality gap in all spheres of life and work.