Barbara Bako, Abuja.
UN Women Nigeria Country Representative, Beatrice Eyong, has said that empowering women through affirmative procurement will make for inclusive development in Nigeria.
The Country Representative made this call while giving her remarks during the Open Day with Partners in Abuja,
Eyong stated that with increasing access by women to public contracts it will further boost the survival of businesses as well as drive economic growth.
She said, “In Africa, it is seen that less than 10 per cent women’s entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs, have less than 10 per cent of the share of public contracts but what the executive governor has done in Kaduna, women are going to have more percentages of public contracts.
“This, to us, is huge, because it’s not only economic empowerment for women entrepreneurs, but it’s also pushing for employment. Is going to bring employment to send jobs for women and girls, for boys, for men. So, for us, it is huge. It’s a huge stride that the Kaduna government has taken.
“As we gather here today, we are reminded of the importance of addressing systemic inequalities, opportunity inequalities and outcomes that has inhibited women’s economic empowerment through progress has been paid, what remains to be done in accelerating progress and institutionalizing the transformation to ensure women’s economic autonomy, because it’s one thing for a woman to generate the money there’s one thing for her to benefit from that money, so we need economic autonomy.”
Eyong stated that although she acknowledged that gender equality is lacking in Nigeria, the private sector has contributed $25 million to combat gender-based violence in the continent.
“Recognizing that unit economic empowerment cannot be achieved in isolation, we are honored to have with us a diverse group of partners and critical stakeholders, including government representatives, international development partners, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society, organizations and colleagues present.
“Your presence here today reflects the importance of collaborative efforts in mobilizing the support necessary to advance gender equality in Nigeria.”
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Dr Vitalis Emeka Obi, on sideline of the event told journalists that the federal fovernment will continue to ensure more women are empowered.
Dr. Obi asserts that enabling women to participate in affirmative procurement will help them occupy their proper position and lessen inequality.
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The Permanent Secretary added that it would enable them to not only be centrally located but be more productive in their local communities as well.
“As a government office, we are a coordinating body, and we also have a gender policy that actually supports and empowers women. In addition to that, we also have the text that makes sure that our budgeting framework and cycle helps to make it gender responsible. and to this end, will support from that end of making a good budget provision, and also sticking to the fact that the policy should be implemented, should be carried out strategically across all levels of government national and sub national levels,” he said.
Additionally, he revealed that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have been encouraged by the government to facilitate the empowerment of women.
“We encourage MDAs, in their budgetary timelines, to create timelines that make it gender responsive. They create timelines that help support the cost of gender so in their project three proposals, they are expected to do that, they present it at the budgetary defense level, they will get the approval to be able to run programs that support empowerment for women.
“The additional Administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already created that platform for women to be empower the government has created consumer credit scheme that empowers, that gives room for women to be able to access grants startup grants and run to pursue businesses in micro, small and medium scale industries, to provide support the startup grants that also the women need. So, across the MDAs, they have no excuse if they don’t put up the timelines to their budget.
“They are encouraged to do that and then bring it to the budgets center where we are able to make it reflect on the budget proposal and when we’re defending it before the National Assembly, they will also see the reason why women should be empowered to stand in the communities to make them more productive and more giving added value to the communities that they stay in,” Dr, Obi said.
