Dame Pauline Tallen endorses Pathfinder International/She Forum Africa’s call for action  …. Says the 17 SDGs cannot be achieved if women are neglected

Oru Leonard

While receiving the delegation of Pathfinder International on the 6th of May, 2022, in her Conference Room, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG has declared that countries address issues around the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals of (UN-SDG) make progress faster than those which tend not to do so.

Dame Tallen was speaking on the occasion of the High-Level Meeting with the team from Pathfinder International led by Dr. Amina Dorayi/Ms Ininfon Etuk. Pathfinder International works in collaboration with She Forum Africa.

The Women affairs’ minister who further submitted that the 17 SDGs cannot be achieved if women are neglected, held the meeting with the Pathfinder International/She Forum Africa in the presence of the Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs in the Office of the First Lady, Dr. Rukayyatu Abdulkareem Gurin and Directors of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

The visitors at the high-level meeting were around to discuss partnerships for goals to advance the gender agenda for sustainable development.  They were also meeting with the Minister preparatory to flagging-off of the #icommit campaign, which is a high-level convergence by pathfinder international in partnership with She forum Africa to deepen awareness and build momentum for gender equality.

The visitor’s theme for discussion centred on three-pedestal:

That, Gender equality is a basic human right and its achievement has immense socioeconomic implications. The economic case has also been advanced in support of this by many global voices.

That, daily realities globally and specifically in Nigeria, call for contemporary measures to tackle persisting challenges affecting sustainable development, top of the chain being Gender inequality.

And, that misconceptions around Gender Equality and Gender mainstreaming pass it off as a “Women’s Thing” whereas Gender mainstreaming is about representation and inclusion of solutions that cater to all.

In reaction to the points raised by her visitors, Dame Tallen disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs would have made faster progress at her advocacies and economic services intervention on behalf of Nigerian women if it has budgetary provisions for such women issues like economic empowerment of women, Gender-mainstreaming and Sexual and Gender-based violence which has become rampant in the nation, lately declaring that but for the support of European Union and the United Nations, the modest achievement of her Ministry in the direction of advocacy for women rights, political and administrative inclusiveness and equal opportunities for the gender in the Nigerian space wouldn’t have been possible “because political involvement, mobilizations and campaigns are very costly.”

The Honourable Minister disclosed that her ministry has been working in close collaboration with many national Governmental agencies such as Federal Ministries of Education, Health, youth development, Finance and Civil Society Organizations as well as Non-Governmental Organizations.

It was in the light of these backgrounds that the Minister commended the very recent coming to Nigeria and meeting with women and vulnerable  groups by the United Nation’s Secretary General, Antonio Guterres as timely “especially that the statements made by the UN Scribe spotlighted many of the issues which we are advocating lately, for Nigerian women to be free from widespread economic deprivation and allowed more inclusion and participation in decision making, administrative and political space in Nigeria”, the minister stated.

Dame Tallen further commended Pathfinder International/She Forum Africa for the works they have been doing in Nigeria, declaring that they are making her works easier by their own interventions and complementary roles.
The women affairs minister did not just endorse but joined at the end of her meeting to commit to Pathfinder International/She Forum Africa’s Behavioural Change and Policy Advocacy Campaign to support the implementation of sustained call for action:

#Icommit advocacy at all levels to transform underlying legal, government, and policies that perpetuate gender inequalities;

Promote policies supportive of the agency of women, girls and marginalized group;
Identify and support opportunities to increase agency of women and girls for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR); and others.

(FMWA Media)