Ramatu, Magnafaith tackle gender inequality, violence against women

Idowu Bankole

Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu and US-based journalist, community builder and media entrepreneur, Magnafaith Krimi have condemned the alarming rate of violence against women while discussing gender inequality in Africa at the just concluded African Women Conference in Morocco.

Addressing journalists on the sideline of the conference in Marrakech, MagnaFaith Krimi stated: “Oh!  how can I shout on the mountain top enough so that society can understand how important it is that we addressed the worrisome trends of gender-based violence and of course the massive inequity as experienced by women and the girl child in Nigeria?

The African Union and the United States welcomed the AU theme of the year, “Silencing the guns by 2020,” where the African Union stated in its release that the intention was to create conducive conditions for Africa’s development in working to end violent conflict on the continent. It is imperative to note that there sure would not be much development in Africa unless we truly begin to address gender-based violence as suffered by women and the girl child whose rights have been violated.

“You see, we worked on building a coalition to end gender inequality as envisioned by the African Women Conference Team led by Dr. Jumai Ahmadu in Morocco.

“My goal in subscribing to the coalition is to strengthen the movement, as I have always worked to amplify the voices of women and the girl child who have been unheard,” Krimi said.

MagnaFaith particularly condemned in strong terms, the violence against women in politics, citing examples to include the just concluded Kogi State gubernatorial polls where a PDP women leader was burnt to death in the most gruesome manner. She stated that she wept as she heard Natasha Akpoti speak on the humiliation she suffered by being identified as “woman” in the electoral process.

According to Magnafaith, “it is beyond disturbing, in trying to comprehend how women are being treated in our society.  You see, the Nigerian woman has survived violence, massive inequity with a disproportionately-low representation in leadership and managerial positions.

“The Nigerian woman should not be shut out of leadership and decision-making positions; if anything, the Nigerian woman must benefit to the same extent as her male counterparts.”

MagnaFaith said profoundly: “We know how to go to war against sexism for our rights. We realise that if we don’t fight against the pain we endure in inequality, we will not have a forward-moving country.

“I am optimistic as well as cautious in addressing issues such as human rights, and gender-based violence as society must truncate the joy enjoyed by perpetrators of the impunity that seems to become fun-fair where one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or abused in some other way as researched by World Health Organisation sited in a data from 2013.

“The PDP woman leader killed in Kogi State is just one example of several heinous crimes committed against women hour after hour.”

MagnaFaith berated Nigerian lawmakers for not doing enough to project and protect the female gender. More-so, she wants them to ensure they enjoy equal rights with their male counterparts in decision-making and high-level positions. Krimi tasked the lawmakers to sponsor bills that will address gender inequality and put a permanent end to violence perpetrated against women.

“Nigerian lawmakers must uphold their pledges as made to address issues such as transparency, accountability, human rights, and gender-based violence which have lasting impact on the growth and development of our communities. Nigeria must provide space for all opinions and ideas; we must work together with like-minded people, as well as those we might disagree with.”

Sharing similar view is the minister of state for FCT, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, who decried the poor representation of women in government parastatals and platforms.

The minister calls for gender-balanced philosophy to be internalised in the body of African politics. She said the education of the girl child must be taken seriously if there must be a way forward.

“Education of the girl child should be pursued with greater vigour and cultural barriers and stereotypes which hinder the girl child’s access to functional education should be tackled.

“Knowledge is key to effective women participation in political processes, especially in a post-colonial Africa whose economy is becoming increasingly knowledge-driven.

”Women must show the compelling intellectual capacity to provide visionary leadership that will help African nations defeat poverty, create wealth, create jobs and enhance prosperity.”