By Abubakar Yunusa
The Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Ms Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, has said that economic empowerment of women and girls remains central to sustainable development, stressing that targeted investments are already reducing unpaid care work and opening up new income opportunities for rural women.
She stated this in Abuja during a press conference to brief journalists on her visits to rural communities and her engagements with government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector.
Gumbonzvanda said facilities such as WASH projects and the newly rehabilitated Kwali agro-processing centre were easing burdens on women, boosting productivity and expanding economic prospects.
According to her, gender-responsive budgeting is critical to ensuring that public resources are allocated to programmes that genuinely benefit women in agriculture, enterprise development, and skills acquisition.
“Empowering women economically is not charity; it is innovative development with benefits that extend to entire communities,” she said.
She stressed that sustaining progress would require predictable and innovative financing, adding that UN Women would continue to mobilise partnerships to ensure frontline organisations and national institutions have the resources they need to drive lasting change.
Gumbonzvanda commended Nigeria for what she described as strong leadership and a clear commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls. She said UN Women remained ready to support national efforts to translate commitments into measurable results.
The UN official is in Nigeria as part of activities marking the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign highlighting that violence against women and girls is preventable.
She said her mission focused on strengthening partnerships, reinforcing national leadership, and accelerating collective action on gender equality. Over recent days, she has held meetings with members of the National Assembly, diplomats, UN agencies, civil society organisations, and grassroots women leaders.
Gumbonzvanda praised the National Assembly for its commitment to improving legal protections and increasing women’s participation in governance, noting that nearly one in three women globally experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.
She also highlighted the importance of stronger regional cooperation across the Sahel and West Africa, where women’s leadership is essential to peacebuilding and sustainable development.
Describing her visit to community projects, she said the commissioning of WASH facilities and the agro-processing centre in Kwali demonstrated how targeted investments improve safety, reduce time burdens, and expand income-generating opportunities for women.
“At the UN system level, we are committed to coordinated, multi-sectoral action on GBV prevention, economic empowerment, and the Women, Peace and Security agenda,” she said.
A growing concern, she noted, was technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which affects between 16 and 58 per cent of women globally. UN Women, she said, was supporting Nigeria to strengthen digital safety and accountability mechanisms.
Gumbonzvanda also emphasised the urgency of affirmative action, pointing out that women occupy only 27.2 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide as of January 2025.
She welcomed Nigeria’s proposed Special Seats Bill, describing it as a strategic tool aligned with global best practice.
“Affirmative action is not symbolic; it strengthens democracy, improves accountability, and ensures that issues affecting women and girls receive due attention,” she added.
She assured that UN Women would continue working with all partners to ensure that commitments translate into transformative changes for women and girls across Nigeria.
