Gender equality drive: NCWS tasks women on united front

By Stanley Onyekwere

The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), has taken steps to reinvigorate the building of a united front for the women of Nigeria to band together, in setting the gender agenda and changing the narratives for women.

This move, the Council said will help achieve its critical mission of building strong frontiers for women in Nigeria and stimulating collective action to promote gender equality as panacea for facilitating sustainable development in the country.

This was disclosed yesterday in Abuja, during an interface with representatives of critical stakeholders comprising of women groups, development partners and affiliates of the Council, which serves as the umbrella for all women groups in Nigeria.

National President, NCWS Nigeria, Hajiya Lami Adamu Lau, who spoke at a Town Hall meeting with the theme: “Women together: Setting the Agenda and changing the narrative”, organised by the Council at the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Abuja.

Lau noted that the theme was carefully selected by NCWS to offer a platform for Nigeria women to band together, have shared understanding of the gender agenda and develop workable solutions towards advancing the lot of women in Nigeria. 

“As women, we have a lot of work to do and we owe it to our fellow women to protect those women who cannot protect themselves. 

“And my expectation for this Townhall meeting, which is the development of a practical roadmap for improved law and policy environment for gender development in Nigeria.

Also speaking, former first lady of Nasarawa State, Hajiya  Mairo Al-makura, who represented  Nigeria’s First lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari, at the meeting, stressed the need for women to unite, to further drive the quest for gender equality.

She urged women to be actively involved in the electoral process by supporting and voting for women with proven capacities into positions in government, respective of their political and religious affiliations.

 Similarly, former first lady of Imo State, Nkechi Rochas Okorocha, described the theme as apt, as it paves way to charting a common force, in the wake of the prevailing challenges of women in Nigeria.

She adds : “Women are not threat to men, as they play complementary role in the development of the country, and women are key if we must get it right”.

In her remarks, Director General of NCWD, Dr. Asabe Bashir,  commended the Council for the initiative , as it could not have come at a better time than now.

Bashir urged the Council to ensure that no woman is left behind in the strategies to change the narrative around issues affecting women in Nigeria.