|
|
Nigeria: Policy Framework - Experts Insist On Gender Mainstreaming
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
This Day (Lagos)
5 August 2008
Posted to the web 6 August 2008
Senator Iroegbu
Abuja
Stakeholders have canvassed for mainstreaming of gender in policy issues such as international trade, economic partnerships, aids, national planning and budgeting.
This was the outcome of a National Consultative Workshop on Gender, Trade and Poverty organised by Trade Network Initiative (TNI), an umbrella body of 11 Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) dedicated to poverty reduction and overall development of Nigeria.
The analysts based their call on the fact that current development plans, budgeting and policy decisions aimed at poverty reduction are allegedly devoid of gender equity and equality.
In a welcome address, the President of TNI, Hauwa Mustapha, said the workshop is focused on the European Union (EU)-African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries' Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the Federal government's position.
According to her, the success of such development initiatives can only be effective if gender and poverty eradication are factored in, and given space in the policy frameworks.
In her paper on Trade Policy and Practices, Mustapha stressed the need for gender analysis in trade policy development; for gender specific measures that will supply capacity and control over productive resources; and that feminisation of poverty and wage inequalities must be accounted for as critical priorities in the EPA negotiations.
She revealed that there is a link between trade, poverty and gender, and that more women than men are employed in poor wage and low scaled jobs; adding that trade-induced poverty could aggravate the situation of child labor and women trafficking.
Speaking on Nigerian Trade Policy and Practices: Gender and Poverty Analysis, Mrs. Opeyemi Abebe of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) noted that Nigeria is ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world despite her vast oil revenue.
Expanding the scope of EPA, the CEO Market Link Consults Lagos, Dr. Aremu J. remarked that trade can be used as instrument of growth provided the country is ready to adjust its development strategies in line with international realities.
|
Participants called for effective advocacy by the CSOs and other stakeholders through strengthening arguments through evidence-based advocacy; widening alliances with key actors; sustaining popular mobilisation; sensitising new leadership; and putting pressure on the leaders to ensure clear national and regional agenda to guide negotiation generally.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
