With eye on successor chief driver, Tallen launches National Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy

CHIDIMMA UCHEGBU-Abuja

With eye keenly searching for a capable successor that will drive the National Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy, Country Gender Equality Profile and Development Partners’ Gender Equality Women’s Empowerment Coordination Framework 2023 – 2028, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG who will be leaving office on the 28th of May, 2023 summoned a meeting of the High-Level Advisory Council (H-LAC) on Nigeria’s support to women and girls on Friday, 19th of May, 2023 at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, not only to jointly launch the WEE policy, the Coordination Strategic Framework (2023 – 2028) but to let the H-LAC decide who is reliable enough and whom they can trust and respect enough to continue with driving the vision on women and girls’ empowerment in Nigeria.

The Minister first intimated the H-LAC and the Development Partners Group on Gender (DPGG) that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the WEE Policy for Nigeria which indicates that the Federal Government is ready to deploy resources to drive the women’s economic empowerment programmes and projects in support of the efforts of the Private Sector and the Development Partners.

She went on to also indicate that the UN-Women will be supportive of the Secretariat of the WEE Policy Implementation and the Gender Equality Women’s Empowerment Coordination Strategic Framework (2023 – 2028).

The WEE Policy combines expert perspectives, government priorities and grassroots voices of Nigerian women engaged over the course of the past 24 months to propose high-impact.

The Policy draws attention to key sectors, where most Nigerian women and girls are employed or likely to pursue livelihoods, such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, the traditional labour market, education and skills. The Policy also recognizes cross cutting enablers as Women’s Financial Inclusion (WFI) and Literacy, Digital Innovation, Literacy, Access, Household, Workplace, and Community Support Structures (norms change, access to care, labour saving solutions, PWDs, affinity groups), as well as issues of Gender-Responsive and Data-Driven Government Processes (e.g. policy making, budgeting, and procurement).

The Strategy Note and Framework however are clear commitment from development partners to fulfil a crucial accountability role that can improve the alignment and coordination of initiatives and actions taken in the interest of advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in avoiding duplication of such efforts.

Tallen stated that “It is therefore critical that following today’s launch, all efforts committed to their development will not go in vain and allowed to gather dust on the shelves but should get the necessary buy-in from all our partners.  Without financial support, it must be said that the potential of these documents cannot be achieved.”

Before handing the meeting over to the UN-Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong and leaving for another urgent engagement at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, GFCR at the State House to continue presiding over the meeting, Dame Tallen ensured that the World Bank’s Country Director, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri as well as the Country Director of ActionAID, Ms. Ene Obi; the Country Director of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Jeremaiah Zoungrana (represented); and the UN Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Matthias Schmale, all indicated their buy-in through goodwill addresses.

The H-LAC meeting also had remarks given by Dr. Dere Awosika, the Private Sector Co-Chair of H-LAC and the Honourable Ministers of Education (Mallam Adamu Adamu CON as represented) and that of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, CON, also represented.

The Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar who was also represented gave his remarks while Rt, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal who is the Chair of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Sokoto State Governor also indicated the commitment of the Governors of the States.  Some wives of out-going and incoming Governors graced the launch event with some of them, notably Erelu Bisi Fayemi contributed actively on the issues to be prioritized for the implementation of the WEE Policy, going forward.

Even though issues of security, health and political inclusiveness have been mentioned, the H-LAC has not finally decided the particular issues to deploy the resources, time and energy of the Council upon.

The Action Plan which is already in the Policy document lists intermediate steps and milestones to be achieved towards the Policy’s overarching goals