Number one reason Nigerian women are suffering high level of poverty is due to poor representation in political leadership; already our women are more intelligent than their counterparts in Rwanda, more hardworking, more honest and more generously gifted with vast wealth of talents in literature; research and development; in science and technology; in arts and architecture; in law and commerce; in digital marketing, management science and culture; hospitality and tourism; in film, content creation and theatre; in oratory, sports and pageantry; in baking, beverage; cuisine and aviation.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Currently, Nigerian women head many international organizations: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the current Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the first woman and African to hold this position. Amina J. Mohammed is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.Obiageli Ezekwesili is the Former Vice President of the World Bank (Africa Region) and co-founder of Transparency International. Important globally impactful organizations and departments in different institutions are governed by women of Nigerian descent.
Yet there are only 16 women out of 360 members in Nigeria's House of Representatives, which is approximately 4.7%. Yet Nigeria currently has no female governors among its 36 states. In President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's federal cabinet there are just 8 women out of 45 ministers.This gender inequality has significant contribution to Nigeria's women poverty. It further limits the nation as well as its womanity.
Here are the names and portfolios of the cabinet ministers:
Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim - Minister of State, Police Affairs.
Uju Kennedy - Minister of Women Affairs.
Betta Edu - Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Hannatu Musawa - Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy.
Lola Ade-John - Minister of Tourism.
Doris Anite - Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment.
Nkiruka Onyejeocha - Minister of State, Labour and Employment.
Mariya Mahmoud - Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory.
Unlike Nigeria, Rwanda stands out globally for its remarkable strides in gender equality, particularly in political representation.
Rwanda's women hold 63.75% of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 53.8% in the Senate. In Rwanda, women make up 45.4% of cabinet members. At the gubernatorial level, Rwanda has a significant number of women in leadership roles at the local government level. Women leading local government and grassroots programs to ensure gender development and equal opportunity.
The outcome of Rwanda's inclusive politics is balanced economic growth. You do not see only men building mansions and showing off, women are doing exploits while empowering the girl child to stand up to be counted. This has fostered growth and reduced poverty. This inclusion has impacted positively on economic growth by ensuring diverse perspectives in policy formulation.
The other day a woman died in Nigeria because she had no money to pay for child birth. No government hospital that carters for emergency maternity care. That's almost impossible in Rwanda. The access is free. Rwanda has an integrated maternal health preventative program which has reduced maternal mortality rates by 42% over the last decade, from 487 to 203 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Rwanda's inclusion of women in politics has improved access to education and healthcare for women and girls, leading to better socio-economic outcomes. This has enhanced its global reputation, attracting international partnerships and investments.
The underrepresentation of women in Nigeria limits the potential for inclusive governance and hinders progress in addressing gender-specific issues like maternal health and education for girls.
Rwanda's success demonstrates the transformative impact of prioritizing gender equality in governance. Nigeria could benefit from adopting similar strategies to empower women and drive socio-economic development.
Even the United Arab Emirates has 9 women as ministers and 27 men working with them. In the UAE’s Federal National Council (FNC) women make up 50% of the FNC. This small nation prioritizes women thinking and value over primordial patriarchal values that ignore women representation.
In Saudi Arabia, women hold 20% of seats in the Shura Council, an advisory body to the King. Women like Sheila Al-Rowaily have broken barriers, becoming the first woman on the board of the Saudi Central Bank. Saudi Arabia aims to increase women's workforce participation from 22% to 30%, which is expected to boost the economy significantly before 2030.
The neglect of Nigerian women won't be for long. They should begin to protest using their social media handles, corporate unions, civil society groups. Women should begin to make demands beyond the affirmative action. Women in power should begin to speak up against intimidation and against this recent frustration of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. We need to begin to utilize the rich talents embedded in our women that have been long forgotten.
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