Leadership (Abuja)
6 July 2008
The minister of women affairs and social development, Hajiya Saudatu Usman Bungudu, has reiterated Nigeria's commitments towards achieving gender equality, women empowerment and improvement in the situation of the less privileged of the society most of whom happen to be women.
Bungudu expressed this view at the formal presentation of Nigeria's 6th periodic report on the implementation of the convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to the United Nations CEDAW committee in New York two days ago.
She said Nigeria has made some progress towards the implementation of the convention since her last appearance before the committee in January 2004, adding that the current defence covers the period of July 2002 to July 2006.
In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday, Bungudu said each reporting period has been an opportunity for Nigeria to report on the progress being made towards eliminating discrimination against women. "Nigeria believes the convention is a critical barometer against which we access our progress in view of the fact that the elimination against women benefit the society as a whole," she added.
The minister pointed out that the enabling environment created by the return to democratic rule of the nation's polity has given rise to a vibrant civil society, engaged in the promotion and protection of the human rights of women and girls as well as freedom from all forms of discrimination.
She stated that the women machinery both at the federal and state levels has been very active in the quest for gender equity and equality, adding that even Nigerian women at the National Assembly are also very vocal on issues of gender mainstreaming and empowerment.
Bungudu listed concrete measures of eliminating all forms of discrimination aginst women to include economic and political empowerment of women, passage of laws to deal with human trafficking and exploitation, with specific reference to women, including increase of the number of women in public service and politics, improved access to women education and health facilities. She added that the federal government has mandated the Nigerian law reform commission to reform the Nigerian family law in three phases, which she said will be completed in 2009.
The minister disclosed that the CEDAW bill in Nigeria is under consideration as an executive bill by the National Assembly and expressed optimism that the ongoing constitutional and electoral reform processes in Nigeria will not only ensure gender mainstreaming in the constitution and affirmative action in the electoral laws, but also fast-track the passage of the CEDAW bill at the National Assembly.
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