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Three Nordic states, Norway, Denmark and Finland have pledged to work with the Federal Government on how to improve gender equality in Nigeria.
In a joint statement made available to Daily Sun ahead of the International Women’s Day being celebrated today globally, the ambassadors of the three countries said Nigerian women have broken new ground in their respective fields, but just as it is in their respective countries, there is still work to be done.
The ambassadors are Jens-Petter Kjemprud (Norway), Jesper Kamp (Denmark) and Jyrki Pulkkinen (Finland). Noting that the theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Balance for Better,’ the envoys said they want to work with Nigeria to make the difference. “This theme underlines the importance of promoting equal empowerment to drive the growth and development of a country. Men and boys have an important role to play, along with women and girls,”the statement said.
“Nigerian women have not been adequately included in politics and decision-making at local and national level, and women are still underrepresented in the formal labour market,”the statement added.
The envoys said “promoting gender equality is not only the right thing to do, it is a smart choice for economic growth and stability in a country.” They recall that in the Nordic countries, women’s steadily increasing participation in the labour market is estimated to account for up to 20 percent of “our GDP per capita growth in the past 50 years.”
Stressing further the importance of gender equality, the envoys drew attention to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) report which said Nigeria’s economy could grow by 1, 25 percentage points per year if the gender gaps in the labour market, political representation and education were reduced to that of peers in the region.
The envoys believe that Nigeria’s “enactment of the Gender and Equal Opportunities bill would be an important step in the right direction”and “we encourage the National Assembly to pass the bill into law.”
While commending Nigerian advocates of gender equality, the envoys said: “The Nordic Embassies acknowledge all the work done by the champions of gender equality in Nigeria. We look forward to a continued dialogue with all stakeholders: the government, civil society, the private sector, and traditional and religious leaders on how we can work together to further promote gender equality in society, both in our countries and in Nigeria.
“Celebrating International Women’s Day today is important, but gender equality should not be observed on only one day of the year. What we do during the remaining 364 days is crucial. We want to work with Nigeria to make the difference. After all, it is a fundamental right for everyone to be treated equally no matter their gender.”
