Women Affairs Minister Promises to Lead in Fight against GBV

*As experts at WISCAR confab canvass strategic gender equity policies

Michael Olugbode in Abuja and Funmi Ogundare

The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, has told Nigerians to count on her as she takes the lead in championing and reviewing policies that will strengthen the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria.
She gave this promise at the sidelines of a music show to roundup the French Embassy activities to celebrate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
In another related development, stakeholders yesterday called for a commitment towards empowering women and promoting gender equity through strategic policies and initiatives aimed at fostering economic, social and political inclusion.
They made this known at the Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR) 2024 Annual Leadership and Mentoring Conference, in Lagos, themed, “Fueling Resilience: Empowering Diversity for Economic Success.”
The women affairs minister emphasized the need to triple efforts in providing reliefs for victims while speaking to journalists at the event which featured a performance by Nigerian artist Morell who created a special Hausa song for the occasion, and a documentary screening by Anti-Sexual Violence Lead Support Initiative ASVIOL,
She noted the scourge of SGBV is everybody’s problem and that anybody can be raped – and not just the less privileged alone.
She however said victims should be supported, promising she would lead from the front.
She assured that a stakeholders meeting will be convened next year where all partners who are passionate about protecting the rights of women and children would meet to deliberate on the way forward.
Her words: “There is no reason why anyone should face any kind of violence. We must as stakeholders chart a course to end SGBV. Decisive actions must be taken now, and we must not cultivate rapists.
“We must review also the legal instruments, and strengthen it, so that offenders would know that they will end up being prosecuted and will end up in jail.
“Sexual and gender-based violence is everybody’s problem because anybody can be raped; so, it is not limited to the less privileged alone. Count on me to take up policy review, take charge and carry out necessary interventions.
“I had an encounter with some survivors few days ago in Lagos. I listened to their stories which are heart rending. All I can say is that we need to support victims. It’s a clarion call. They have suffered. Let’s provide immediate support. Let’s triple up our efforts.
“I am here to lead, to support development partners, non-governmental organisations, Nigerian women and the media. We will keep on convening this kind of webinars and the time is now.
“Another challenge we have is that we do not have enough shelters or safe homes, but despite that, we should be intentional. Yes, we have scarce resources but we need to tap into the resources of our developmental partners, and we must align to a national action plan which must be accelerated.”

The minister however called on all stakeholders to bring up their suggestions so they can work together in ending the monster called gender-based violence against women and children.

At the WISCAR conference, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, explained that women are key partners in the state’s development and government’s efforts are driven by the belief that when women succeed, families, communities, and the state as a whole thrive.

According to her, “the resilience of Nigerian women, demonstrated through their ability to overcome challenges and seize opportunities, plays a crucial role in advancing the state’s economy.

“In Lagos, we have witnessed firsthand the invaluable contributions of women in entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation across various sectors.

“Women continue to enhance productivity and foster sustainability, underscoring the importance of diversity and inclusion as drivers of progress.”

She pointed to the state’s active support for gender equity, including partnerships with initiatives like the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs), which has seen over 200 companies in Nigeria, many headquartered in Lagos, adopt these principles. 

These efforts are part of the state’s broader strategy to implement concrete measures that empower women, including capacity-building programs for female entrepreneurs, access to funding through the Employment Trust Fund (ETF) and robust legal frameworks designed to protect women from domestic and gender-based violence.

Mrs. Dada also highlighted the collaboration with WISCAR which aims to provide mentorship opportunities and leadership development for women.

She commended the conference as a platform for thought leaders and professionals to share ideas and drive collective action.

In her remarks, the founder of WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola, stressed its vision of preparing, developing and advancing generations of young professional women for purposeful, aspirational and ethical leadership.

Her words: “Our aim is to ensure readiness for the top job, by building a pipeline of talented and capable women leaders who, equipped with the confidence to navigate their careers, aspire to and indeed attain the highest levels of leadership where they can influence change and contribute to the performance of organisations and to nation building.”

She described success at WISCAR as embracing equity to create an inclusive world, a 50 per cent increase in the number of women in leadership positions across sectors, resulting in the institution, deployment and enforcement of gender friendly policies and laws in organisations, a minimum of 35 per cent of women in elected political office, equal access to educational opportunities for women and girls, among others.

“We are a learning organisation, we have continued to improve and enhance our programmes to meet the needs and expectations of our beneficiaries and partners to achieve our goals,” Oyagbola stated.

In her keynote address, Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer of Main One Cable Company, shared an inspiring story of resilience and the trials of building a successful business amidst challenging circumstance.

She reflected on her journey, highlighting both the early struggles and the eventual triumphs that led to the establishment of Main One as a leading player in West Africa’s telecommunications sector.

“When I think back to those early brainstorming sessions, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come. It’s a privilege to stand here today and talk about resilience,” she said, praising the importance of perseverance in building a successful business.

Drawing attention to Nigeria’s current economic climate, Opeke acknowledged the country’s challenges, despite reports of economic growth.

“Poverty is increasing, businesses are shrinking, and many Nigerians continue to seek opportunities abroad,” she said. 

She recalled a pivotal moment in MainOne’s history, a decision to build a submarine cable that would connect West Africa with Europe.

“It was originally designed to run to South Africa, but our team encountered multiple obstacles in securing the necessary permissions and licenses in various countries.

“We could not land in South Africa unless South African interests controlled the cable,” she explained, adding: “That was a major setback, but we encountered and decided to focus on West Africa instead.”

The CEO emphasised the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and vision in overcoming obstacles and achieving success. “No one achieves great success without facing challenges, but with resilience, the improbable becomes possible.” 

The Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Olaniyi Yusuf, emphasised the role of women in leadership and resilience of organisations.

 He emphasised the importance of diversity in leadership, noting that a varied perspective helps organisations better withstand challenges.

He pointed out that women possess unique qualities such as patience, empathy, and a focus on humanity when making decisions.

“These traits are invaluable in shaping more sustainable decisions and fostering better organisational outcomes,” Yusuf stated, calling for increased involvement of women in leadership and decision-making processes.

 “We need women to develop other women, leaders to develop leaders, and men to support the development of female leaders,” the chairman stated.