The Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday called on government at all levels to give priority to education and empowerment of women and children.
Buhari made this call in Abuja at the International Sheroes Forum with the theme: “Advancing women’s roles in business leadership and governance.”
Buhari, who was represented by the Wife of the Nasarawa State Governor, Hajiya Salamatu Al-Makura, said that education is the foundation for empowerment of women and children to achieve gender equality.
“We need to come together by supporting and encouraging each other in creating positive impact by empowering women and girls.
“I believe education is the foundation for empowerment of women and children, especially the girl child.
“I wish to call on government at all level and Non Governmental Organisation to ensure that issues that has to do with the right of women and the less privileged empowerment is mainstreamed.
“We have to come together as partners to confront gender inequality.
“We need to work with government, Civil Society and private sector to address the underlying bias and social norms that permit women and girls to be treated as lesser breed than men and boys.
“We still have a long way to go in terms of enjoying a gender equal world; we also need to be vigilant against sliding back on progress already made,” she said.
She said that there can be a change through legislation by working on the design progressive laws and ensuring that the laws are effectively implemented in other to be truly successful in the goals of equality.
However, Ms. Comfort Lamptey United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, said that the conference needs relevant stakeholders to get the desired equality.
Lamptey, who was represented by Adji Ndiaye, Deputy Country Representative, said that women in Africa were grossly marginalised, stating that Nigeria has the lowest level of representation in Africa.
She said that the main objective of UN women was to close the gap of marginalisation, saying that in 2019 election women should invest in political participation.
Sen. Jewel Taylor, Vice Presidential Candidate, Liberia, said that women in Africa should create a national fund to assist in increasing women participation in politics.
“We can begin to raise funding to get women in national governance because that is the button line, we have to put our money where our mouths are.”