Plateau First Lady, ActionAid push for power shift, social justice for women at UN CSW70

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, New York

First Lady of Plateau State Helen Mutfwang has made a bold call for systemic transformation that puts women at the centre of governance, economic decision-making, and leadership, declaring that true national progress cannot be achieved without equality.

Speaking at a side event during the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) in New York, themed “Transforming Systems, Centering Women: A Social Justice Agenda for Equality and Accountability”, Mrs Mutfwang said equality remains the key determinant of social progress and sustainable development.

“No society can advance sustainably without ensuring that women and men stand on equal footing in decision-making, economic opportunity, and leadership,” she asserted. “When women rise, nations grow stronger.”

Building on her call, Country Representative of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, stressed that achieving gender equality requires addressing the deeper link between power and economic control. “Power and resources go hand in hand. Until women have access to and control over these, structural inequalities will remain,” he said.

Mamedu highlighted that reforms in governance, budgeting, and development planning must deliberately prioritise women’s empowerment.

Executive Director of the Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), Joyce Ezeilo, echoed the message, urging that systems must be redesigned to promote women’s inclusion and justice. “True transformation begins when systems are designed to empower women, not sideline them. A social justice lens ensures equity becomes a lived reality,” she said, calling for accountability frameworks that measure progress in gender reforms.

Dr Amina Omeri, who presented a research report at the event, recommended that governments treat school retention for girls as both a social justice and economic strategy. She also urged countries to formalise informal economies and institutionalise women’s representation in leadership. “Embedding women in governance is not optional — it is key to achieving real accountability and sustained development,” she stated.

Bose Ironsi spotlighted the impact of the Women’s Voice and Leadership project funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by ActionAid Nigeria, saying it has strengthened women’s rights organisations and expanded their capacity to mobilise for social justice.

Complementing the discourse, Dr Felicia Onibon of the 100 Women Lobby Group and Nkechi Ilochi-Kanny of ActionAid Nigeria both emphasised that advocacy must move from rhetoric to reform. They underscored that women must not only be part of policy conversations but also lead the transformation agenda itself.

The session ended with speakers reaffirming that centring women in systems of power and policymaking is not just a justice issue but the foundation of sustainable global progress.