International Women’s Day: NLC Women Hold March

The Women’s Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress has held a rally in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja to raise awareness on gender-based violence and to campaign for a work environment free from sexual harassment.

The women made up of members of affiliate unions marched from Labour House in Central Area in Abuja to the Ministry of Women Affairs where they presented a letter to the Minister demanding the ratification of ILO Convention 190.

ILO Convention 190 a.k.a the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 is an international labour framework that provides for protection from gender-based violence and workplace harassment. It mandates member nations to adopt a comprehensive strategy to implement measures to prevent and combat violence and harassment as well as establish enforcement mechanisms among others.

Several speakers rallied women to stick together in the fight against gender inequality. Comrade Rita Goyit, the HOD Women and Youth Department of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) addressed and led the women’s march.

Below are pictures from the event....

International Women’s Day. 2020

Addressing gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls occupied discourse as the world celebrated the 2020 International Women’s Day.

The theme for this year’s celebration, ‘I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights’ is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls everywhere.

The emphasis on generational equality cannot be glossed over in view of Nigeria’s peculiar demographics. 62% of Nigerian population is below 24yrs and this means that any positive shift in entrenched attitudes must needs be one that will be fully owned by today’s youth. 

In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gueterrez identified the issues as “from the ridiculing of women as hysterical or hormonal, to the routine judgement of women based on their looks; from the myths and taboos that surround women’s natural bodily functions, to mansplaining and victim-blaming – misogyny is everywhere”, he said

Last month marked the start of a Decade of Action to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at building peaceful, prosperous and inclusive societies while also safeguarding the planet. 

Gender equality being the 5th SDG targets among other things women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life.

However, exclusion of women from the decision-making structure especially in developing countries like Nigeria and the barrier to equal opportunities this presents has been the major bane to women development. Most such countries have a strong male patriarchal setting that places barriers to women entrance.

Gueterrez says “At the heart of the issue is power, as male-dominated power structures underpin everything from national economies, to political systems, to the corporate world and beyond.” But he also pointed out that patriarchy also has an impact on men and boys, trapping them in rigid gender stereotypes, declaring that a systemic change is long overdue. “

While countries have made appreciable progress in gender inclusion, Nigeria is still a long way away from admitting women into political power structures. For instance, women constitute just 5.8% of members of the National Assembly.

iRise Africa recommends constitutional amendments to give a quota to women in appointive positions as a starting point in opening the political space for greater inclusion. Very importantly, girl child education must be prioritized while financial institutions should be encourage to set aside significant portions of their loan stock to promote small scale businesses for women.

How NGO deterred mother of twins from genitally mutilating her 3 months old daughters

How NGO deterred mother of twins from genitally mutilating her 3 months old daughters



By Lanre Oloyede

As part of its activities to commemorate the International Day of zero tolerance  for Female Genital Mutilation, Empower Her for Sustainable Development Initiative in Africa, a Non-Governmental Organization focused on girl-child education and women empowerment has succeeded in dissuading a mother of twin girls from going ahead to circumcise her daughters. 

The 35 years old mother of five who lives in Abuja had planned to have her 3-month old twins genitally mutilated before the intervention of the NGO.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), female genital mutilation also known as FGM or female circumcision is a globally outlawed harmful traditional practice that involves partial or total removal of external female genitalia, particularly the clitoris, due to erroneous cultural beliefs.

Nigeria is known to have the highest absolute number of FGM worldwide accounting for about one-quarter of the estimated 115-130 million circumcised women in the world.

The practice is considered harmful to girls and women and a violation of their fundamental human rights, which usually results in infertility, maternal death, sexually transmitted infections and loss of sexual pleasure.

In May, 2015, then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan signed a federal law banning the practice in Nigeria.

Miriam (not real name) had had her genital mutilation at the age of ten as was the practice and tradition with every female member of her family, and when she got married, she agreed with her husband to have same rite performed on their daughters.

But the story changed the moment Miriam attended a sensitization programme organized by Empower Her for Africa at Dakwa village along Kubwa expressway Abuja to educate the rural women on dangers of female genital mutilation.

Miriam had erroneously believed the age long cultural rite was necessary and important to deter women from indulging in sexual promiscuity.

“The practice is good and necessary to prevent women or girls from jumping from man to another. I am in support of it and I wish to do it for my daughters. I have a neighbor that finds it difficult to control her sexual urge anytime a man touches her because her clitoris was not cut off, but now that I know the dangers associated with it, I will not do it to my twin daughters,” she said.

According to the Executive Director of Empower Her 4 Africa, Charlene Makai Yusuf, the sensitization exercise was part of the NGOs activities marking this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation which holds every 6th of February.

Speaking on this year’s theme: Unleashing Youth Power, Mrs. Bamigbele Ebunoluwa, a Medical Laboratory Scientist enumerated the long-term consequences of FGM to include complications during childbirth, damage to the urethra resulting in urinary incontinence.

Also speaking, Mrs. Abosede Oladayo, a global ambassador of The Well Project, who incidentally was a victim of FGM explained that psychological and emotional effect of the harmful practice include lack of sexual pleasure resulting in infidelity.