2025: EU Says 80% of Activities Will be on Gender Inclusion

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

To close gender gaps and ensure that women, girls and others with vulnerabilities are carried along in all sectors of the economy, the European Union has revealed that 80 percent of its programmes will contribute towards gender empowerment in Nigeria.

Similarly, the United States Government has pledged to work with local nongovernmental organisations towards ensuring that women and girls are protected from all forms of violence in the 2023 general election.

Speaking at the first Gender Inclusion Summit with the theme: ‘Connecting the dots for a gender inclusive society’, which was organised by Policy Innovation Centre and the Nigeria Economic Summit Group,  the Deputy Head of the EU to Nigeria, Alexandre Borges-Gomes, said allowing women and girls to fulfil their potential is servicing two- third of the entire population.

He said killing of stereotypes often disguised as culture is what society must keep an eye on, as the EU has concluded plans to make work towards ending sexual and gender-based violence, equal participation and leadership for women, educating girls and empowering women among others.

According to him, “Less than 50 percent of women has paid jobs as of 2021 as against 76 percent for men. In 2025, 80 percent of EU activities should contribute to gender empowerment. The EU is working towards ending sexual and gender-based violence, educating girls and empowering women.

“In gender inequality, Nigeria is among the highest in the world with a position of 139 out of 149. It is yet to reach it potential in harnessing the potential of women and girls.

 In her keynote address, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said in 2030, the vision would see to it that Nigeria has made sustainable progress in SDG 2,3 and 5.

She said so far, statistics has shown that women are 22 percent less than men in the labour force, and with gender norms shifting with women at 47.9 and 59.6 percent for women and men respectively.

In terms of school participation, Leonard said 58 percent of girls are in school as against 74 percent for boys, and regretted that many of the girls leave school without completion. To stem the tide, she said they would boost girls interest and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in order to advance their career and fulfil their dreams, thereby becoming role models for younger girls and women.

“Women participation in politics is essential and Nigeria sets the tone for the rest of the continent. Representation of women with only four percent in elective positions is poor. We will work with local group to protect women and girls from violence during the elections,” the diplomat said.