By Emumena Michael, Abuja
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir has stated that women in Nigeria are not taken seriously in leadership and other critical issues in the country. Stressing that no country undermines over 50% of its total population.
Dr. Bashir said this on Thursday while hosting a top delegation of the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) in Abuja. Adding that whenever there is insecurity in the country, women being homemakers and managers are mostly affected.
“As you all know, Nigeria has over 50% of its population as women and no country will neglect more than half of its population. That is why any issue that has to do with women is very apt and very important. And especially in this country where women are not being taken seriously when it comes to leadership and other things.
“When there is unrest or any insecurity issues, it is women that suffer most because we are the home managers and homemakers,” she said.
While stressing that the government is facing lots of challenges in terms of women’s development, she assured WAANSA of the collaboration of NCWD to improve the welfare and development of women across the country.
“I pray that your NGO will be a huge success and it will touch the lives of the Nigerian women because the government cannot do it alone. This country needs all hands on deck to salvage it especially in the area of security.
“We are facing a lot of challenges and the government is doing its best but its best is not enough. So we are looking up to a kind-hearted individual like you that will come up to take the challenge to face this monster for the sake of Nigerian women.
“National Centre for Women Development is looking forward to partnering with you on any issue that will help to boost and empower the Nigerian women or that will help to make things easier for the Nigerian women,” Dr. Bashir added.
Earlier in her presentation, President of WAANSA in Nigeria, Barr. Temitope Lamidi said the gender unit of WAANSA gives special consideration to women and girl-child because they are major victims of armed violence.
She argued that to make the Social Development Goal (SDG) a quick reality and end gender discrimination, women need to be urgently integrated into governance. Adding that a credible Nigerian woman will be joining the 2023 presidential race.
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“We want to use this medium to inform you of the urgent need to get an appointment with President Buhari, and also inform him of a credible Nigerian woman who will be joining the 2023 presidential race as part of the program to mark the International Women Day 2022,” she said.
Barr. Lamidi further stated that the International Day for Women, which is set to hold on March 8, 2022, is a day set aside to reiterate the impact of women development, raise awareness about more women inclusiveness in government, and lobby for accelerated gender parity.
She frowned at free party nomination forms for women, noting that it is another guise to disenfranchise women and make them even weaker, “as politics and politicking is no tea party, nor is power served a la carte.”
The high points of the event were the unveiling of the T-shirt for the International Day for Women with the slogan #BreakTheBias.
More so, The Trumpet, a media partner of WAANSA ahead of the International Day for Women 2022, decorated Director-General of NCWD, Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir with its customize face cap in appreciation of her roles toward women development in the country.
