Advocacy for Gender Equality, Women Inclusion in Leadership and Media

Stakeholders at the recent Nigeria Health Watch conference not just advocated for gender equality for women’s health, but also, more inclusion of women in media, key leadership and decision-making positions, among others in Nigeria, Sunday Ehigiator reports

According to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognised sources, gender equality in Nigeria was reported at 0.33333 per cent in 2020.

The indicators from the above data equally showed that, women have an enormous impact on the well-being of their families and societies, but their potential is sometimes not realised because of discriminatory social norms, incentives, and legal institutions.

Although their status has improved in recent decades, gender inequalities still persist. This formed the background of discussions at the largely attended zoom event organised by
Nigeria Health Watch themed, ‘Breaking Glass Ceilings: Gender Equality for Sustainable Development’, with an array of speakers from different walks of life.

In her opening remarks, the Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu, said more women representation in the media would bring about more inclusiveness and development of more gender-balanced news stories.

She equally said there was need to have conversations on how men can support women’s representation in male dominated leadership spaces as well as amplifying the critical importance of women in leadership as a driver of improved gender equality.

Also speaking, Founder and Managing Director, Megalectrics, Chris Ubosi, called for urgent need of gender friendly policies at work places, while also noting that competence and confidence were critical elements required to break the barrier of stereotypes against women in journalism.

Ubosi noted that women with better training and competence would always be given opportunities over their male counterparts at media work places, while also advocating for total support for women to compete favourably with men, to thereby end gender inequality.

“They say to increase chances of winning the lottery; you must first buy a ticket. The same is true to expand the influence of women in the media. There should be training amongst journalists to discover the stereotype of the patriarchy.”

Also speaking, General Partner, Ventures Platform, Kola Aina, pointed to the fact that contrary to popular misconceptions, a number of our high performing portfolio companies are led by female founders.

“We find that these companies are some of our better performing companies, and so it’s actually good business to back female founded businesses.”

In her submission, Chief Executive Officer, Biola Alabi Media, Mrs. Biola Alabi, said it was time for the society to begin to address issues of maternal mortality as well as other challenges of women as society problems.

According to her, “we have a responsibility to look at women issues as society issues. Issues of maternal mortality, ovarian cancer, breast cancer and others should be seen as society issues.”

For the Commissioner for Health Kaduna State, Dr Amina Baloni, “empowering young girls and women will require deliberate policies and men must be intentional about supporting women.”

She said the perception that women should not be in certain places must be changed.

Also speaking, Senior Technical Adviser, Tony Blair Institute, Dr Ebere Okereke, expressed concern over the under-representation of women in leadership positions.

Okere said that women constituted about 70 per cent of health workers but with less than 20 per cent of them in the leadership class. She condemned the patriarchal structure where women were placed as dependents, with no value.

“Majority of women’s needs must be addressed at all levels, involving women in decision making. For example in Nigeria, before women gain access to some sexual reproductive health services, their husbands’ permission is sought, is it not indirect denial of rights,” she queried.

Okereke however noted that it was necessary and important to break all the barriers that silence women, in all facets.

Also, Executive Director, Africa No Filter, Moky Makura, agreed that since women’s issues are human issues, for everyone, “if you see something, say something. If you see that women are not being represented, say something.”

He said when people start to say something, that’s when we will see the change that we desire.

In a keynote address on Girl Child Dividend, Chairperson, House Committee on Women, Honourable Oriyomi Onanuga, opined that if Nigeria must enjoy any demographic dividend from the girl child in the future, it will depend on the amount of investment being made in the lives of adolescent girls in Nigeria today.

Similarly, Senior Health Specialist, World Bank Nigeria, Dr. Olumide Okunola, noted that there was a big opportunity for Nigeria to reap a demographic dividend in healthy productive adolescent girls, “only if we have favorable changes in our population age structure.”

Globally, women have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, less access to basic and higher education, greater health and safety risks, and less political representation. Women remain un-represented in leadership positions in finance, politics and governance.

Women serve as Heads of State or government in only 22 countries, while 119 countries have never had a woman leader. In addition, as discussed during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, women are bearing a disproportionate burden of the climate crisis.

Drawing conclusion from the two-day Future of Health Conference, in order to create an enabling environment for women and girls to thrive alongside men and boys, it is imperative to increase the number of women who can stand to favourably compete in the marketplace.

Some of the ways recommended to achieve these include women already in leadership mentoring women, increasing the visibility of female experts through deliberate action by the media, and continuously identifying and rejecting gender stereotypes.