INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2025: Sulaiman-Ibrahim Flags off Celebration in Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has flagged off the 2025 International Women’s Day celebration in Abuja, Nigeria. This year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” emphasizes the need for decisive and bold action to break barriers and empower Nigerian women and girls.
The Minister acknowledged the significant progress made in enacting gender-responsive laws, such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act. However, she noted that full implementation remains a challenge, with only 35 states domesticating the VAPP Act and 34 states adopting the Child Rights Act.
She highlighted four key areas that require attention, to include Legal and Policy Framework by ensuring full compliance, effective enforcement, and accountability to guarantee the rights of Nigerian women and girls; Economic Empowerment by closing the gender financing gap, expanding opportunities in trade, technology, and digital skills, and providing structured support for women entrepreneurs; Gender-Based Violence and Social Norms by strengthening survivor-centered services, reviewing the Child Rights Act and the VAPP Act, and creating safe spaces across the country; Political Representation and Leadership by accelerating efforts toward political inclusion, ensuring women have a seat at the table as equal partners in governance and development.
The Minister commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for significantly increasing the Ministry’s budget, signaling a new era of government commitment to women’s empowerment. With these increased resources, the Ministry will prioritize programs on women’s economic empowerment, digital skills acquisition for girls, and the fight against gender-based violence.
