From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The President and Founder of Aspire Women Forum, Barrister Zainab Marwa-Abubakar, has called for a balanced inclusion of women in the decision-making organs of the country.
Marwa-Abubakar made the call in Abuja while participating at a high level breakfast meeting of the 65th Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
The event had as its theme, ‘Women in Public Life: Equal Participation in Decision-Making; End Violence – Achieve Gender Equality.’
Marwa-Abubakar represented the civil society at the event in her capacity as the founder of Aspire Women Forum.
The Commission on the Status of Women, it would be recalled, is the main global intergovernmental organ of the United Nations which is primarily dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Present at the breakfast meeting were the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon; Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ketil Karlsen; the UN Women Nigeria Country Representative, Comfort Lamptey; the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing; the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon Nkiru Onyejeocha.
The event also had in attendance, female members of the National Assembly, members of the Diplomatic Corps, representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, members of the civil society and the private sector.
Marwa-Abubakar said: “Women deserve to have a seat at a table where they cook and serve food. Give a woman N2000 and she will make you a pot of soup worthy of N10,000.
“We are by the very definition of all that we do – Nation Builders.”
The 65th Session of the CSW, Sunday Sun gathered, took place in Nigeria due to the COVID-19 pandemic rather than the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States.
The strategic meeting was jointly organised by the United Nations Women, the Office of the Minister of Women Affairs, including the Office of the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives.
The meeting was moderated by Hajia Amina Salihu of the MacArthur Foundation.
“We discussed the strategies for increased female political participation in Nigeria and an end to Gender Based Violence (GBV).
“I am happy that younger people are being brought into these conversations. We heard from Nigerian heads of the UN, UNDP, EU, High Commission of UK, Canada, Namibia, etc.
“Very riveting and amazing work being done. I have to say that whenever I find myself in these rooms, I still find it surreal. It’s a blessing honestly. I keep praying for God to use me for the greater good whatever that may be,” Marwa-Abubakar added.