From Fred Itua, Abuja
Professor Abubakar Suleiman, Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), has revealed that despite the 35% affirmative action on women, their representation in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria since 1999 has remained below 7%.
Professor Suleiman spoke during a Train the Trainer Workshop for NILDS Staff on Gender Mainstreaming in Abuja. The workshop, facilitated by UN Women in partnership with NILDS, aimed to equip staff with the necessary tools and competencies to integrate gender perspectives into policies, programs, and budgeting.
The workshop’s objectives included: Improving NILDS staff’s capacity in gender policy analysis; Equipping staff with knowledge on gender mainstreaming principles, methodologies, and tools; Integrating gender perspectives into NILDS policies, programs, and activities for more inclusive and gender-responsive initiatives; Enhancing the quality and relevance of NILDS research outputs and publications with a focus on addressing gender gaps and promoting women’s empowerment; Strengthening institutional commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment within NILDS; Fostering a culture of inclusion and diversity.
Suleiman, a former Minister of National Planning, expressed concern over the low representation of women in governance despite the existing legal framework promoting 35% affirmative action. He attributed this gap to the disconnect between national and international policies and actual practices.
“Despite concerted efforts by government, NGOs, donor agencies, and international partners, there remains a continuous decline in women’s representation and participation in politics and governance,” he stated.
Suleiman expressed optimism about NILDS’s strategic role in ensuring wider participation of women in governance by guiding policymakers to formulate informed and evidence-based policies. He emphasised the need for upskilling staff to effectively achieve this objective.
“I wish to seize this opportunity to appreciate our ever-dependable partner, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), for considering it a priority and a point of collaboration to put this workshop together despite limited resources,” he said.
Suleiman reaffirmed NILDS’s commitment to the partnership and collective efforts towards strengthening the legislature and other democratic institutions in Nigeria.
He highlighted the importance of addressing gender inequalities in policies, programs, and projects to ensure they benefit both women and men and promote gender equality. He emphasised the need for mainstreaming a gender equality perspective in all development streams for the socio-political and economic empowerment of all genders.
“The fight for gender equality is not only an individual matter. It requires the determination and commitment of decision-makers and state institutions in creating policies that will enable the reconciliation of the different roles men and women play in society,” he concluded.