Paper Presented at a One-day Conference on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Conference Organized By Center for Peace Advocacy And Sustainable Development (CEPASD) On March 18, 2025 At Institute For Peace And Conflict Resolution, Central Business District, Abuja.

Introduction

Gender equality is a fundamental human right essential for the prosperity and development of any nation. In Nigeria, persistent gender disparities hinder progress across various sectors. This paper examines gender equality as a right, explores key issues affecting its attainment in Nigeria, identifies factors inhibiting women’s progress, and concludes with strategies involving civic engagement and social accountability.

Gender Equality as a Right

Gender equality is recognized in international human rights legislation and policies, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), the Beijing Declaration, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). These legal frameworks affirm that all individuals are entitled to rights and freedoms without discrimination, including on the basis of gender.

• ACHPR: Article 2 states that every individual is entitled to rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind, such as race, ethnic group, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national and social origin, fortune, birth, or other status.
• UDHR: Article 1 declares that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, while Article 2 emphasizes entitlement to all rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind, including sex.
• In Nigeria, Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees the right to freedom from discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, sex, disability, or political opinion.

Key Challenges in Achieving Gender Equality in Nigeria

Gender equality refers to the equal rights and opportunities for men, women, and persons with disabilities (PWD), irrespective of their religion, ethnicity, or social standing. In the context of politics, it involves ensuring fair representation of women, men, youth, and persons with disabilities in both elected and appointed positions. Unfortunately, since the advent of democracy in Nigeria, women and persons with disabilities have faced substantial underrepresentation in the political landscape.

Nigerian women face numerous challenges in their quest for gender equality across several vital sectors, including political, economic, cultural, and social domains.

• Political Disparity: The participation of women in politics remains significantly low. Although the National Gender Policy mandates a 35 percent quota for women, the ultimate objective should be to achieve a 50 percent representation. This should be recognized as a fundamental right for women rather than a mere concession. In the 10th National Assembly, women occupy only 4 out of 109 Senate seats (approximately 3.7%) and 17 out of 360 House of Representatives seats (around 4.7%), highlighting a profound lack of representation.

• Economic Inequality: Gender disparities in economic participation are pronounced. Women constitute a larger proportion of the unemployed population, with 35.2% compared to men’s 31.8%. Additionally, women account for more than 70% of Nigeria’s poor population.

Factors Inhibiting Women’s Progress

Beyond political and economic factors, cultural and social norms significantly contribute to gender inequality in Nigeria.

• Cultural and Religious Norms: Certain customs and religious beliefs perpetuate gender discrimination. For instance, some traditions forbid women from inheriting property, limiting their access to wealth and economic independence. Harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation, are conducted to control women’s sexuality, violating their rights. 
• Social Norms and Practices: Societal perceptions often confine women to domestic roles, limiting their opportunities for education and participation in public life. This has led to practices like early and forced marriages, with Nigeria having one of the highest rates of child marriages globally, affecting 44% of the female population before the age of 18. 

The Way Forward

Civic Engagement

To promote gender equality effectively, it is essential to engage strategically with pertinent stakeholders.

• Understanding Legal Frameworks: Advocates for gender equality should acquire a comprehensive understanding of both local and international legal frameworks. This includes familiarity with the Nigerian Constitution, the National Gender Policy, and various international agreements that support gender rights.

• Recognizing Gender Equality Issues: It is vital for advocates to pinpoint societal gender stereotypes and devise effective strategies to combat these issues. This can be achieved through advocacy efforts, policy reforms, and initiatives aimed at raising public awareness.

• Collaboration and Alliances: Forming networks and collaborating with individuals of diverse genders can significantly advance the cause of gender equality. Such partnerships can amplify voices and foster a more inclusive dialogue.

• Constructive Engagement: Advocates ought to explore best practices in gender mainstreaming and offer well-researched recommendations to key government stakeholders. This will facilitate the effective implementation of gender equality initiatives.

• Awareness and Sensitization: Utilizing international events and various media platforms to increase visibility and awareness of gender equality issues is crucial. This approach can help to engage a broader audience and foster a culture of equality.

• Community Engagement and Awareness: Engaging community leaders, including traditional and religious figures, through capacity-building programs and town hall meetings can play a pivotal role in dismantling cultural and religious barriers that obstruct gender equality. By fostering dialogue and understanding, these initiatives can promote a more equitable society.

Accountability Mechanisms  

Ensuring that governments are held accountable is vital for the effective integration of gender equality across all areas of governance. 

• Advocacy for the Implementation of Laws and Policies: Advocates must strive to ensure that existing laws and policies designed to promote gender equality are actively enforced. These include:  

• The enforcement of rights, charters, and treaties pertaining to gender issues  
• Relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution that address gender equality  
• The National Gender Policy  
• The Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act  
• Policies concerning sexual and reproductive rights.

• Promoting Gender Reforms: Advocates should propose and pursue reforms aimed at addressing gender imbalances within society. It is essential to advocate for the reintroduction of the five gender bills that were previously rejected by the ninth Senate.  

• Reforms within political parties should be prioritized to ensure equitable distribution of elective positions among all genders, both for elected and appointed roles.  
• Educational reforms that emphasize gender equality should be actively pursued.  
• Initiatives aimed at reforming religious and cultural practices that reinforce gender stereotypes should be developed and implemented. 

• Promoting Fair Resource Distribution: Advocates for gender equality must work to integrate gender-sensitive initiatives into the annual budget across all levels of government during the budgeting process. 
• Collaborate with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) by reviewing gender priorities within the MTEF and providing recommendations to legislators. 
• Work with the Medium-Term Sector Strategies (MTSS) to ensure that allocations for gender-focused projects are incorporated into the sectoral plans of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). 
• Analyze the proposed budget by examining the sector-by-sector breakdown to assess its alignment with gender budgeting principles and offer recommendations to the relevant committees in both the National and State Assemblies.

Oversight of Implementation: Regular monitoring and reporting on the execution of gender policies and budgets is crucial to ensure both accountability and transparency in the process. 

• It is important to extract gender-related initiatives from the annual budget and designate specific monitors to oversee their implementation effectively. This will help ensure that resources are allocated appropriately and that initiatives are carried out as intended.
• A continuous assessment of the provisions of gender policies across key sectors is necessary to identify existing gaps, challenges, and opportunities in their execution. This ongoing evaluation should inform policy recommendations, enabling stakeholders to address shortcomings and enhance the effectiveness of gender initiatives.

By addressing these challenges through active civic engagement and fostering social accountability, Nigeria can make significant progress toward achieving gender equality. This commitment will ultimately contribute to the development of a more inclusive and prosperous society for all its citizens.

By 
Victor Emejuiwe
Program Manager, Chriced