Senator Kingibe: True Democracy Cannot Thrive Without Full Participation of Women

*Unveils NCLUDEHer Nigeria initiative

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Ireti Kingibe, has said that a true democratic society cannot thrive without the full participation and representation of women.

Kingibe in a statement issued Thursday, to commemorate June 12 Democracy Day, said Nigeria ranks 130th out of 146 countries on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, with low scores on educational attainment and political representation for women.
She added that Nigeria is also among the 10 per cent of countries exhibiting the highest gender discrimination levels according to the OECD’s Social Institutions and Gender Index, with “high” or “very high” assessments across all evaluated categories.

The lawmaker pointed out that these inequalities have led to substantial macroeconomic losses in growth, income equality, and economic diversification.
Against this background, Kingibe has launched the NCLUDEHer Nigeria Initiative, with the aim of addressing multidimensional barriers and creating opportunities for women’s meaningful contribution to nation-building.

She explained that the initiative was a transformative agenda to foster sustainable democracy through women’s empowerment and inclusion across all spheres.
Kingibe said: “The NCLUDEHer Nigeria Initiative is a multisectoral intervention spearheaded by the Senate Committee on Women Affairs to integrate and innovate inclusive development impact opportunities for gender responsive national policy action programs across the public and private sector respectively.
Her words: “This collaborative effort aims to foster sustainable democracy by addressing gender inequalities across all spheres of Nigerian society.
“A truly democratic society cannot thrive without the full participation and representation of women.”

Kingibe added that the key priorities included: promoting and protecting human rights for women and girls across all dimensions; ensuring universal access to quality healthcare, education, decent work, and social protection; addressing gender-based violence, harmful practices, and discrimination, among others.
According to her, at the core of this initiative lies the NCLUDEHer Gender Equality Accord, a symbol of the senate’s joint commitment to inclusive progress.
The Accord represents a comprehensive framework outlining strategic priorities and actionable measures to dismantle barriers and create opportunities for women and girls in Nigeria.

Kingibe stressed that while the accord would be formally introduced and signed later this yeaar, the initiative has already set in motion a paradigm shift in the nation’s approach to gender equality.
She explained that the initiative represents a multisectoral collaboration that recognises the interconnectedness of various issues impacting women’s empowerment, from poverty alleviation and institutional strengthening to financing with a gender lens.