President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, said this at the 2-day National Conference and Special Dinner to celebrate 100 years of the Nigerian Woman with the theme, “Achieving 50/50 by 2020, held at the Eko Hotel and Suits, Victoria Island, Lagos.
President Jonathan, who was represented at the event by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo said, “The gender equity is ensured and assured in government programmes and projects with no compromise in quality and competence, by a synergy of purpose and action, enabling greater synchronized frequency in the administration, for the good of our nation.”
Jonathan noted that “Government has given women ample opportunity to show the world that womanhood remains the bastion of continuity and existence.” He also noted that by political will, government has ensured that strategic positions that were never before given to women, re now being given to them”; saying that the Federal Government has gone beyond tokenism and numerical value in recognition of excellence and constituency in the deployment of policies to dismantle barriers that have been erected to prevent the ascendency of womanhood in all sectors of the economy.
He said an innovative approach has been developed to integrate women starting with five pilot Ministries, namely Agriculture, Health, Communication Technology, Water Resources and Works, which have delivered on targeted services for women, as regulated by the MOU signed with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Jonathan disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture will work with Ministry of Communications Technology to ensure that 5 million women farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs are provided withal necessary assistance that will enable them to access the needed resources for higher productivity.
On health and other sectors, he said the Ministry of Health has expanded its on-going “Save a Million Lives” initiative to restore health and hope to one-third of the number of young girls and women who have been waiting for VVF surgical repairs and economic rehabilitation. “The Ministry of Works and FERMA have been directed to increase the number of women employed in public works programme, contractors and others with a set target of 35 percent, as funds have been set aside for disbursement to the targeted MDAs and other new government programmes such as the YouWIN and SURE-P, to create wealth and job opportunities as well as combat malaria and maternal and child mortality.
President Jonathan commended the women who sponsored the programme and reminded Nigerians that with the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, Nigeria emerged as an entity with more than 250 ethnic groups and languages and the history of the pre- and post- colonial Nigeria has been replete with instances of fearless women organizing principled protests for development and against injustice
Earlier, the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, commended the Federal Government for a remarkable progress in attaining the 35 per cent affirmative action and being gender sensitive.
She said it was pertinent to reflect the historical perspective of the Nigerian women – their achievements and sacrifices as they stood beside men in national building. She also disclosed that there is a presidential directive that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation appoints 35 percent of women in government committees.
In his remarks, the SGF, Senator Ayim Pius Ayim commended the Nigerian women, saying the night was to celebrate them and it was the first time in the history of the country as many women have occupied key positions in the President Goodluck Administration.
Source : #FMI
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