International Women’s Day: UN Urges Global Leaders to Prioritize Investment in Women and Girls.

In commemoration of International Women’s Day today, the United Nations issues a compelling call for world leaders to commit to substantial investments in women and girls, recognizing their pivotal role across social, economic, cultural, and political landscapes.

The day serves not only as a celebration of women’s achievements but also as a platform to spotlight the persistent struggles for gender equality and women’s rights on a global scale.

Under the theme “Count her in, Invest in Women; Accelerate Progress,” the imperative of investing in women for societal advancement takes center stage.

Despite commendable strides by the United Nations over decades, epitomized by landmark agreements like the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, gender inequalities remain deeply entrenched.

Women grapple with obstacles such as restricted access to quality employment, occupational segregation, and gender-based wage disparities. Fundamental rights like education and healthcare are often denied, while women also confront various forms of violence and discrimination.

Alarming projections by the UN underscore the urgency, warning that if current trends persist, over 342 million women and girls could be trapped in extreme poverty by 2030. Notably, Nigeria stands at 123rd out of 146 countries in the 2022 World Gender Gap Report.

In a resounding call to action, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urges nations to invest in programs combatting violence against women and promoting women’s inclusion and leadership in crucial areas such as economies, digital technologies, peacebuilding, and climate action.

Central to these efforts is the imperative to unlock sustainable development finance, ensuring nations possess the necessary resources to invest in the empowerment of women and girls.

Guterres emphasizes the need for increased representation of women in leadership roles across business, finance, central banks, and finance ministries, asserting that such representation is pivotal for shaping policies and programs that cater to the specific needs of women and girls.

Ms. Beatrice Eyong, UN Women’s Country Representative in Nigeria, underscores the organization’s commitment to supporting inclusive policies and programs within the country. Simultaneously, she urges the government to ensure economic stability by stimulating growth, generating job opportunities, and alleviating poverty.

Affirming the government’s commitment, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, assures sustainable empowerment for women and other underprivileged Nigerians. She highlights the launch of an E-portals market designed to facilitate seamless business ventures for women operating as cooperatives.

Notable distributions of industrial equipment to various states aim to enhance economic activities, and Mrs. Ohanenye assures that an integrity brigade and traditional leaders will vigilantly oversee transparency and accountability in the utilization of donor funds, acting as watchdogs for the benefit of all Nigerians.