Federal Government says gender inclusion, health and poverty reduction are on top of the agenda to be discussed during the 64th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, made this known on Thursday during a delegation pre-departure meeting in Abuja to discuss issues for consideration at the UNCSW.
Tallen said that the 64th session would provide a platform to discuss the nation’s experiences and to project its achievements, as well as challenges recorded in the past few years.
She said “I see this forum as an opportunity to build on progress made so far. The lessons learnt over the years in advocating for women’s’ rights and consolidating on best practices can also be shared.”
Ifeoma Anagbogu, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, said issues of women and health, climate change and woman in politics were topics to be discussed during plenary sessions of the meeting.
Mrs Mary Ekpere-Eta, the Director-General, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), emphasised the role the centre played toward promoting gender equality, women and girls’ empowerment, as well as poverty reduction through skills acquisition training.
She said “it is once again time for us as a nation to take stock of our efforts in promoting gender equality and the achievements of the empowerment of women/girls, especially with regard to social protection systems, access to public service and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
“The centre has continued to build capacities of young women and girls through its artisanship, ICT, vocational training programmes and the women development centre reactivation project.”
According to her, the centre recently embarked on sensitisation on the gender dimension of unlawful consumption with particular attention to women and youths, as well as an end to Gender-Based Violence.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that various state commissioners for women affairs, Civil Society Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations and children’s parliaments were at the pre-departure meeting.