Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State has decried the spate of economic inequalities against women in the country, saying their inclusion in economic policies would create greater development in the polity.
The deputy governor said this at the African Women in Business Summit organised by Nigeria Outlook, on Saturday in Abuja with the theme: Financial inclusion of Women: The African Economic Renaissance.
She urged government at all levels and financial development experts to create enabling environment for women to thrive, stating that financial empowerment of women in the country would end poverty.
Balarabe noted that inequality would reduce more in the society when a woman had economic and financial power, adding that financial empowerment is a means for poverty reduction.
She stated that in Kaduna, the State government had prioritised human capital development with a focus on women, adding that the government was committed to bringing women to speed.
She said that women in African were usually confined to the kitchen, adding however that she was one of the very few lucky one that got education to overcome such toga.
“We still have in this age where the girl child is not able to go to school, she has been seen as incapable of taking care of herself.
” Women suffer double lack and burden in our society today because the society has granted the male child a privilege role.
“Women have been abandoned in the home for giving birth to a girl child but we are going to change that.
“There are profession identified as feminists and some as exclusive preserved of men such as medical doctor. I remembered in my class as a medical doctor we were 45 and only 5 were girls.
She listed some of the limiting factor in businesses for women growth to include: lack of quallateral, financial constrain among others.
She however stated that the government of Kaduna State had soften the ground for the women folks to allow them have access to loan and other facilities.
Mrs Awal Mustapha, the representive of the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Talen, noted that despite global challenges, women were making giant effort in all spahere of lives.
She added that entrepreneur is the only way to achieve the requisite economic freedom, adding that about 40 per cent of registered entrprenure in Nigeria is owned by women.
She said that the ministry is advocating an end to all forms of discrimination, adding that it would upscale this to ensure that those vulnerable women were not left out.
She stated that the ministry would collaborate with all stakeholders to provide enabling environment to ensure the elimination of discrimination against women.
Alhaji Dairu Ali, the Editor-in-Chief, Nigeria Outlook, stated that apart from the youth, the future of the world today depends on the role women were allowed to play.
He stated that the men had for very long time men dominated the economic space, stressing that this narrative had to change.