By Benny Ats
In Africa, Nigeria stands as the most populous nation on the continent. While there remain historically incredible things spoken concerning the nation, there have, for the longest been several challenges faced by it, from terrorism in the northeast to communal violence and resource conflict across different regions. Protecting the well-being of Nigerians remains a priority. Despite this, existing security systems typically overlook the vital role that women play in national security. This article contends that incorporating feminist perspectives into security policy is crucial for effectively addressing these difficulties.
According to a documentary created by the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation and Gatefield titled LEADERSHIP AS E SUPPOSE BE under the project “WhatNaija WomenWant,” 133 million people in Nigeria live in multidimensional poverty. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this amount represents roughly 64% of the population. This data is based on the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which measures poverty using a variety of characteristics such as education, health, and standard of life. Poverty that is multidimensional exacerbates pre-existing gender disparities. Women are more likely to suffer from poverty for a variety of reasons, including inferior educational success, less access to economic possibilities, and cultural limitations that restrict their rights and participation. As a result, women may suffer unjustly from concerns such as food insecurity, a lack of access to healthcare, and limited political participation. Women who live in poverty are more vulnerable to security threats such as gender-based violence, exploitation, and trafficking. Poverty can also limit women’s access to justice and protection institutions, increasing their vulnerability to insecurity.
Following an essay titled “a compass for gender democracy and feminism” written by Heinrich Böll Stifung, economic and cultural upheavals have had a major impact on gender relations, notably since the mid-20th century. Throughout Nigeria, historical narratives emphasize women’s contributions to national security. Queen Amina of Zazzau (1533-1610) displayed this by ordering her army to expand territory and defend the Hausa people. Similarly, during the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), women actively contributed to relief efforts, information collecting, and peacebuilding programmes [Journal Article: Nigerian Women and the Civil War]. This result emphasizes the significance of the feminist perspective in resolving national security issues that affect men, women, and children. To push back on this perception, the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation argues in their documentary, LEADERSHIP AS E SUPPOSE BE, that advocating for equal access to leadership for women and opposing women’s marginalization is about making the country work for all Nigerians, not gaining power. The Connecting the Dots for A Gender Inclusive Society seminar hosted the Gender and Inclusion Summit (GS-22) on November 16, 2022, in Abuja discussing transformative ways to achieve gender equality and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs, as well as shared prosperity for men and women. According to panelists, Nigeria ranks 123 out of 146 nations on the global gender index (WEF 2022), highlighting the necessity for concerted efforts to solve gender inequality related disparities. “The Purple Book,” an article published by the PIC, the GS-22, themed “Connecting the Dots for a Gender Inclusive Society,” provided a platform for co-creating contextually relevant recommendations for addressing gaps in Nigeria’s gender-responsive governance, policy, and programming exploring the following barriers to a gender-inclusive society. The report states that social norms have a significant impact on gender equality and inclusion. The statement went on to say that restrictive gender norms, gender division of labour, patriarchy, negative gender stereotypes, socialization, ageism, social punishments, gender asset gaps, and religious misinterpretations were all impediments to creating a gender-inclusive culture. According to the summit, opinions from speakers and stakeholders indicated that non-normative impediments to a gender-inclusive society may be motivated by underlying gender norms that impact policy and program decisions. The report stated that “Some for the non-normative challenges relating to gender and inclusion discussed were poor maternity and paternity packages, the weak justice system, limited use of data for gender-related decision-making, gaps in the availability of gender data, gaps in gender budgeting, collateral requirements limiting women and other minority groups access to financial opportunities, poverty, and non-inclusive programming”.
The GS-22 emphasized the necessity of evidence-based policies, gender-responsive governance practices, gender-responsive budgeting, and improving women’s legal protection while considering stakeholders’ contextual needs. The need of supporting the National Gender Policy with essential action, particularly the 35% quota and affirmative action policy for women, which will allow women to hold 35% of appointments, was emphasized as a measure of increasing participation in decision-making.
To achieve global economic justice, strengthening women’s access to and influence over traditional economic resources, institutions, laws, and policies is needed. Women form the backbone of agricultural output in Nigeria, accounting for more than 80% of the agricultural workforce [Source: FAO: The State of Food and Agriculture—Women in Agriculture]. Women are key drivers of Nigeria’s informal economy, contributing significantly to household incomes through petty trading and small businesses. Women’s absence from peacebuilding and decision-making spaces undermines national security. The African Centre for Strategic Studies has conducted research that emphasizes the relevance of women’s engagement in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts.
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Benny Ats is a Singer/Songwriter.
