Former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, has called on President Bola Tinubu to fulfill the 35 percent affirmative action promised to women during his presidential campaign.
Tallen said with Nigerian women being about 50 percent or more in terms of population, there was nothing wrong if they were given even beyond 35 percent.
Former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, has called on President Bola Tinubu to fulfill the 35 percent affirmative action promised to women during his presidential campaign.
She made the appeal on Friday in Abuja at an award night organized by Women of Worth, an organization set up to celebrate outstanding women.
Tallen, who is also former deputy governor of Plateau State, said from the president’s past records, she was optimistic that Nigerian women would be given their pride of place.
She said women were an integral part of any economy and should be allowed to contribute their quota to nation-building.
“I have the belief that the president will do more for Nigerian women than was experienced in the past.
“It is important to empower, educate and give Nigerian women the opportunity to explore their potential for the betterment of the nation.
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“Rwanda for instance, where women are over 60 percent in government, has seen a lot of progress.
“So, I can boldly say the miles Rwanda has achieved is because of the contribution of women,” she said.
Tallen said with Nigerian women being about 50 percent or more in terms of population, there was nothing wrong if they were given even beyond 35 percent.
She called on Nigerians to make it a point of duty to “lift the hands of a downtrodden woman and put smiles on the faces of the hungry and vulnerable”.
Mrs. Beatrice Eyong, United Nations Women Representative to Nigeria, said she had no doubt that the president would fulfill his campaign promise to women.
“From some of the things I have read about our president, his past work in Lagos and what he has been saying, he has made it clear that women will be an integral part of his government.
“What I will simply say is that Nigeria does not lack competent, experienced and qualified women.
“There are qualified Nigerian women in every sector of the economy,” she said.
Eyong, who also represents the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the UN, said the present administration should “align with judicial texts and conventions that Nigeria had ratified.
“The Maputo Protocol which was ratified by all heads of state, for instance, recommends a 50/50 ratio and Nigeria cannot say it does not have women to make up 50 percent.”
On the roles of Nigerian women in the economy, Eyong said they had always contributed to national development.
She said, while Nigerian women had so much potential, it was unfortunate that their efforts were not well recognized.
According to her, Nigerian women have demonstrated on the global stage that they are competent and have expertise in all fields.
“The Head of, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for instance is a Nigerian Woman and number two in the United Nations is also a Nigerian woman and I can count on her.
“Unfortunately, Nigerian women are not given much opportunity to showcase their potential within their own country,” she said.
The women representative said constraints in the form of discriminatory laws and harmful practices that had prevented women from utilizing their potential should be removed.
On her part, Mrs. Comfort Adesoye, the President, of Women of Worth Awards, said it would not be out of place to give women more than 35 percent appointive positions.
She said women had the wherewithal in terms of educational qualification and strength of character to occupy any position of authority.
