Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said that ensuring the education of women and empowering them is an existential issue for Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Prof. Osinbajo stated this recently in a keynote address at a webinar organised by Women in Africa, WIA in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation, to mark the 2021 International Women’s Day, IWD. Anchoring his contributions on the theme of the 2021 celebrations: Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, #Choose to challenge, the Vice- President noted that “a child of a mother who can read is 50 per cent more likely to live past the age of 5. Each additional school year increases a woman’s earning by 20 per cent, 2/3 less maternal deaths if mothers finish primary school.
“If we hold down half of the productive segment of our nation on account of culture or other frankly outdated considerations, we are much poorer and much more deprived as a whole. We do ourselves a favour by ensuring social and legal equality of women,” he added. Speaking on correcting stereotypes against women in Africa and other developing societies, he said: “For many generations, women have fought these manifestations of gender inequality. Over time, the struggle has been refined to the level of a right to gender equality.” Other speakers at the event include President of the MacArthur Foundation, Mr John Palfrey; CEO of AXA Africa, Hassan El-Shabrawishi; President of Women In Africa, Hafsat Abiola, who moderated the discussion, among others. Meanwhile, Minister, for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen has called on Nigerians to intensify efforts in ending all forms of inequalities, hardships, harmful practices and sexual violence against women and children; including girls and the vulnerable all over the world. Speaking in Abuja at a press briefing for the commemoration of IWD, held in Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, she stated that this year’s theme beams a searchlight on the tremendous efforts made by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. According to her: “The theme is aligned with the priority theme of the 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, CSW which calls for Women’s Right to decision-making in all areas of life, equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to all forms of violence against women and girls, and health-care services that respond to their needs,” she said.
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