The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Monilola Udoh has expressed optimism that the revised 2021-2026 National Gender Policy will end discrimination and guarantee equitable rights for women and People Living with Disabilities (PwDs) in the country.
Mrs. Udoh stated this during a two-day dissemination/sensitisation workshop on the Revised 2021-2026 National Gender Policy in the South-South geopolitical zone, organised by the ministry in conjunction with the African Development Bank (AfDB) held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.
She said, “As you are aware, Nigeria developed its first national policy on the right of women in the year 2000. This was replaced with the national gender policy in 2006 as a result of the review and the integration of lessons learnt from the previous policy.
“A key lesson learnt was the need to work from the gender perspective even though the key purpose remains addressing women’s rights issues.
“Women’s rights include; the right to live free from violence and discrimination, the right to enjoy the highest standard of physical and mental health, the right to be educated, the right to own property, the right to vote and be voted for, etc.
“But as we all know, many women are girls still face discrimination on the basis of sex and gender. This gives rise to the review of the 2006 gender policy.”
The permanent secretary stressed that the gender policy established in 2000, reviewed in 2006, and again revised for 2021 to 2026 is envisioned to become a living document that will be very dynamic to incorporate new realities.
“By the way, policies are supposed to be living documents, they are not just to be made and kept like that. No! As an event occurs, development happens, issues arise, we look at the policies that guide such sectors and then we inconsiderate new realities into them such that they can be relevant at all times.
“The overall goal of the 2021 national gender policy is to build a just society in which women girls and other vulnerable groups will enjoy the same opportunity, rights, and obligations in all spheres of life devoid of discrimination where their needs and concerns are mainstreamed equitably to all sectors of the national development.”
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Margret Edom, urged women to remain optimistic and committed to the emancipation campaign for a just and better society.
