The President, Women in Maritime Africa (WIMAfrica), Nigeria Chapter, Hajia Bola Muse, has called for gender equality to enable equal participation of women and men in building the nation economy.
Muse made the plea, in a programme to commemorate the International Women’s Day with a theme : “I am Generation Equality:Realising Women’s Rights” with the campaign theme #Each for Equal held in Lagos.
According to her, “women rights are human rights” which means women are entitled to all of these rights but yet women and girls are still denied of their rights everywhere around the world.
She said that winning rights for women was more than giving opportunities to any individual woman or girls as well as changing how countries and communities work.
Muse said that winning right for women also involved in changing laws and policies, winning hearts and minds and investment in strong women’s organisations and equality.
“We want every woman and girl to realised the rights that were enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and we also stands for other rights that are vital for women’s equality.
“Some of the inequities are embedded in the deep-rooted cultural norms and beliefs in the African societies while inequalities can also be addressed by changing of policies that reinforced gender inequalities as well as formulating laws that promote women’s economic empowerment.
“According to the World Bank, gender equality matters as an instrument for development as it enhances economic efficiency and improves other development outcomes in ways such as improve women barriers that prevent women from having the same access as men to education, economic opportunities and productive inputs resulting in broad productivity gains.
“Other development outcome are improve women in relative status which feeds in many other development outcome including those for their children,” Muse said.
She said that WIMAfrica Nigeria would encourage effective participation of girls and women in the maritime industry adding that the association looked forward to the support of the ministry and other maritime agencies in achieving the noble objectives of gender equality.
She commended the government efforts for encouraging and motivating women to take up careers in maritime, Shipping and allied professions.
Muse said that WIMAfrica Nigeria had donated a giants oven to Makoko women Fishing community to enable them produce more fishes for export.
Also speaking, the Continental President, WIMAfrica, Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere, commemorate with the Federal Government and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on the global celebration of the International Women’s Day 2020.
She said that WIMAfrica was established in Luanda, Angola on 25th March 2015 with the response to the request made by Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) during her inauguration speech while WIMAfrica came in place in 2017.
In 1995, the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women adopted a resolution regarding the empowerment and advancement of women around the world which they set out strategic objective to achieve gender equality in 12 areas including the economy, violence against women, women in power and women in the environment.
She said that 25 years ago international women had been championing the voice for women and men equal right.
Chiazor-Anishere commended the effort of Muse for making tremendous efforts in lifting other women in entrepreneurial profession, she also appreciated Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa, Mrs Folake George, Mrs Vicky Hasstrup, Mrs Olawumi Dad Director Human Resources of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), Mr Rollen Macfoy and other women who had been championing the course of promoting and supporting women and female to get empowerment.
