2020 WOMEN'S DAY: HDI TASKS GOVERNMENT TO EMPOWER NIGERIAN WOMEN *SEEK JUSTICE FOR THOSE IN DETENTION

*Olufunso Owasanoye of HDI 

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, Huma

n Development Initiatives, a non-governmental organization has called on the Nigerian government to help women realize their full potentials.

In a statement made available to this medium, it reads, “Human Development Initiatives is campaigning that the Government of Nigeria should help women realize their full potential by empowering them to champion the revitalization of the economy, implementing policies that promote equal gender opportunities in the workplace, increasing the number of women holding political offices, investing in girl child education and providing affordable and accessible health care for women.”

Every 8th of March annually is set aside to celebrate the International Women’s Day. Organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women’s groups and the media organize events globally to mark this day and commit to upholding achievements on gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment.

This year, Human Development Initiatives has joined the world to amplify voice and advocate for gender equality while promoting women’s rights in Nigeria and all over the world. This year’s campaign #EachForEqual draws attention to the difference individuals can make, with specific emphasis on gender parity.

HDI said this theme provides an opportunity to gather momentum and voices for women and empower them as agents of national and international change regardless of settings (rural or urban); it is to celebrate activists who are working relentlessly to advocate for women’s rights in the bid to help realize their full potential towards achieving the SDG commitment of leaving no one behind.

It stressed further that, “We call on the government to ensure all women in the workplace enjoy the same benefits as their male counterparts without any form of discrimination. We also call on the judiciary to fast track all cases relating to abuse and violation against women’s rights in Nigeria. We equally demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience in the country particularly women who are under unlawful and discriminatory detention.

“We want to reiterate that our women are not second class citizens in their own country and so should enjoy equal access to opportunities and benefits. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to promote gender equality and women’s rights in Nigeria and the world at large.”

Nigeria is a signatory to many international and regional human rights treaties including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), which protects the rights of women to dignity, equality, liberty, and freedom from violence. 1999 Nigerian Constitution equally provides for fundamental human rights including the rights to dignity (section 34); right to a fair hearing (section 36), and right to freedom from discrimination (section 42)