NIGERIA’S MINISTER  OF WOMEN AFFAIRS PLAYS HOST TO UN EVOY

Oru Leonard

The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen received in audience the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs Amina Mohammed on Monday, February 22, 2021.

Mrs Mohammed who called for collaborative efforts to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV), noted that GBV will not only be stopped by an enacted law, but by what is acceptable in the home, community and society, where it begins and pointed out that it is the duty of everybody to create a society where it is not acceptable.

“In the end, there is leadership in that home that says this is not acceptable and we won’t do it. In the family, in the street we will not tolerate a neighbor that is beating his wife or maybe in worse cases she’s maimed and dies.

“If we are fighting for women’s rights, everyone needs to fight for them because it is about human rights and their environment and the success of the country”, she stated.

She commended the effort of the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, noting that the Ministry under her leadership is moving, not just in Abuja, but also at the state levels, local and even ward level, adding that it is important to rebuild the foundation.

The UN Secretary General noted that Nigeria has moved forward from where she was 10 years ago, adding that although there are still concerns around security and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), there is the need to celebrate what is successful about Nigeria.

She also emphasized that it should not be acceptable that the social cohesion and fabric of Nigeria is being torn, pleaded with Nigeriansà to find a way to instill moral and cultural value as well as everything necessary to make Nigeria great again.

She further urged Nigerians to maximally utilize the United Nations, which she said, is here for them.

According to her, “The United Nations is here for us. It is reforming and becoming stronger and we will like to help countries reach the aspirations they have. The team is here to serve you.

“You need to call on us, what you will like to convene, whether it is internationally, nationally, different groups of people, to pull women and young people into leadership, use the United Nations, it is yours”, she said.

Speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, noted that Gender-Based Violence is a pandemic within a pandemic, adding that since the advent of Covid-19, the Civil Society Organisations and the Ministry has been working so hard to ensure that those that have been abused within the lockdown and in their various homes have been given a voice through the Ministry.

She called for support at all angles in the area of women empowerment, women in political space and addressing the issues of Gender-Based Violence and all sorts of violence against women.

The Minister pointed out that remarkable progress has been made in addressing Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria, since the Deputy Secretary-General’s last visit.

“The main issue is to intensify advocacy and our CSOs are working really hard to support us at all levels. The issue of GBV has taken the front burner in national discourse and there is remarkable synergy in data validation between the federal, state and local levels” she added.

While stating that Nigerian women are making giant strides within and outside the country, Dame Tallen hailed the naming of rail facilities after Amina Mohammed, adding that it is a great achievement for Nigerian women as a whole, and also shows that she is loved.

In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Anthonia Ekpa, opined that Nigeria is fortunate as a country to have Amina Mohammed, as she is one of the greatest women in the World.

She thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for recognizing the gift that Nigeria has in her—her talent, passion, love for people, especially for women, and thanked her for visiting the Ministry.