From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
In a bid to deepen the gender components of the security system in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, on Monday kicked off a three-day high level Sensitization/Capacity Building Workshop on the Revised 2021-2026 National Gender Policy.
Participants at the workshop were from from Nigerian Army, Navy, Airforce, Department of State Services, Nigerian Correctional Center Service, Immigration, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps among others.
Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Shehu Shinkafi, who declared the workshop open, recalled that Nigeria developed its first National Policy on Rights of Women in the year 2000. This was replaced with the National Gender Policy in 2006 as a result of review and integration of lessons learnt from the implementation of the Women Policy 2000. A key lesson then was the need to work from a gender perspective, even though the key purpose remains addressing Women’s rights issues.
He listed women’s rights to include the right to live free from violence and discrimination, the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the right to be educated, the right to own property, the right to vote and be voted for etc. “But as we all know many women and girls still face discrimination on the basis of sex and gender; this gave rise to the review of the 2006 National Gender Policy”, he said.
The Permanent Secretary said the strategic objectives of the revised National Gender Policy are to; Bridge gender/social inclusion gaps and achieve parity in all spheres of life; Protect women’s human rights and mitigate sexual and gender- based violence, through appropriate buffers and related services; and Explore and fully harness women’s human capital assets, as a growth driver for national development through women’s economic empowerment.
Others are to advance women’s participation and representation in leadership and governance; Support women and girls’ education, lifelong health, survival and sustainable development; Ensure that gender equity concerns are integrated into social protection and complex humanitarian actions, legislation and policies ;and Ensure that socially excluded groups (such as persons with disabilities, the elderly and the poor etc.) are mainstreamed into development projects and programmes of Government.
He also mentioned that the 2021-2026 National Gender Policy focuses on the Protection of the Girl – child; Addressing violence against Women and Girls; Addressing issues of conflict, especially as it affects women and girls; and peace building; Rights of Women with disabilities and implementation strategies, including the institutional framework, funding and human resource for gender mainstreaming among others.
It is also a mechanisms for ensuring that national development benefits all and sundry – women, girls, boys and all other vulnerable groups (persons with disabilities, the elderly and the poor); and Strengthening of institutions and systems for gender mainstreaming and building partnership with male-led institutions to deliver results for girls, women and the socially excluded (persons with disabilities, the elderly and the poor).
Shinkafi said that the overall goal of the 2021-2026 National Gender Policy is to build a just society in which women girls, and other vulnerable groups will enjoy the same opportunities, rights, obligations in all spheres of life, devoid of discrimination; where their needs and concerns are mainstreamed equitably into all sectors of National development.
The permanent secretary noted that the Revised National Gender Policy promotes a system in which women, girls, boys and other vulnerable groups enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all spheres of life.
He further noted that the provisions of the National Gender Policy are in line with this administration’s aspiration of achieving a gender sensitive Society and inclusivity in national economic growth and development.
He said the Policy also aligns with various International Conventions, treaties and protocols such as the Beijing platform for Action (BPFA), New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“All these emphasize that member nations should put in place all the necessary mechanisms needed to eliminate gender discriminations and ensure equality and human dignity to all women and men.”
Shinkafi urged all Security Personnel present to take the training seriously, and ensure that gender perspective is mainstreamed into projects and programmes implementation in the Security apparatus, for equitable National development; noting that effective implementation of the National Gender Policy will go a long way to addressing traditions, customs, sexual stereotypes of social roles and cultural prejudice that militate against women’s full participation in National Development.
Professor Olabisi Aina, of the Obafemi Awolowo University, who led the team that revised the National Agenda Policy 2021 to 2026.
She said gender policy is not just a policy for a sector nor is it a Women Affairs Policy
According to Aina, “Women Affairs by the grace of God has been able to midwife this policy but the policy must be owned by every institution, every community, it is like you are changing your brain box, okay? We are changing attitudes. We are changing the way we do things and we are respecting the other gender, we are respecting humanity. And for the first time we want to have human face.
“That is we appreciate what is humanity and the humanity itself is found in this policy, where you practice it you meet the need of everybody, young and old, men and women, able bodied persons and persons with disability.”
All the security personnel present agreed that awareness of the policy will go along way in promoting a healthy working environment amongst officers of men of the agencies and pledged that they will not hesitate to implement it.