Seeking Equal Opportunities for Women
A conference with the agenda, "EQUAL RIGHTS, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES: PROGRESS FOR ALL" sponsored by the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women, held recently in New York, United States of America between 1st to 12th March, 2010. Kogi State was represented at this international conference by the Hon. Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Folashade Shinkaiye, Barr. (Mrs) Janet Ibidunlola Makun, Chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Kogi State Chapter and Barrister Amina Adejoh, member, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Kogi State.
As a prelude to the New York conference, 15 years ago, officials of 159 governments and more than 2,000 non-governmental organizations (NCOS) and over 40,000 participants and observers met in Beijing, China to examine the state of women at the global level. Participants at the Beijing meeting described women empowerment and equality as a socio-economic and political pillar to global development.
The Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) to empower women and eliminate all forms of discrimination against women was unanimously adopted in September, 1995. Women empowerment has since then become a contentious policy phenomenon of our contemporary world as codified in both the Beijing Platform for Action and subsequent international instruments and Millennium Development Goals (MDGS, 2000).
The New York conference played host to Government representatives, religious groups, women and civil society organizations who all gathered at the United Nations Headquarters to take another look at women affairs across the globe. Colourful traditional attires from Africa to India, South America to Asia, North America to Russia were the hallmark of the historic occasion. Hallways, elevators and street corners in and around the United Nations Headquarters were jammed packed with global citizens. National symbols and Advocacy banners adorned theUN environs throughout the period.
At the New York conference, it was observed that despite such historic mobilization, the contours and the cross-road from Beijing (1995) to New York (2010) had not been an easy one. It was the general view of participants across the globe that women continued to be vulnerable to poverty, violence and discrimination, with the resultant effect that the gap between women who constitute the larger part of the world's population, and men has continued to widen.
The question to ask, amidst the United Nations - sponsored conferences and parallel events organized by Non -Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society is, what has been achieved thus far? How far have the womenfolk fared?
In answer to the question above, the adoption of the Beijing platform for Action (BPFA) in 1995 and the coming into effect o the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) in year 2000, the world witnessed a proliferation of advocacies for the women agenda across the global arena. Several plans were made to embede these great international legal instruments into laws, providing protection for women, thus helping to bridge the gender gap.
The United Nations' Report on the world social situation (2010) could not have come at a better time. Amidst a global Financial crisis, women have continued to be at the receiving end ravaged by relative poverty. This development is a cause for alarm as the implementation and domestification of international legal covenants protecting women continue to face daunting challenges. Such challenges as argued at the historic occasion of the Conference by scholars, policy analysts and representatives of civil society organizations are attributed to lack of political will as well as cultural and traditional constraints.
Apart from the problem of political will, culture and tradition have made a shift of the women agenda difficult, and an enormous challenge in both the developing and developed world. The patriarchal nature off our societies has brought to light the compelling realities of most modern societies. From India to Africa, and from the Americas to Russia and Europe, male dominance largely encouraged by religion and culture pose daunting challenges to the empowerment agenda of women. This is a historical mistake, a religious contradiction that needs to be reversed.
In view of the religious and cultural hurdles confronting women agenda, a contentious challenge of educating the girl-child brought to light a compelling global reality. In spite of the progress echoed by some civil society organizations, achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals for the girl-child remains a dream in some countries. More donor-fundings for the adoption of legislation and mechanisms that support girl-child education in National Development plans must be vigorously explored - this should be built around frameworks that would aggressively confront corruption as an undermining mechanism of institutional effectiveness. Just as the sexual exploitation and trafficking of the girl-child is globally confronted, so must the education agenda take the forefront of global effort.
Economic and social scientists have further proved that marginalization and divisions within a society diminish the possibility of accessing socio-economic and socio-political opportunities.
Notwithstanding all the challenges faced by women as enumerated above, considerable achievements have been made in both the developed and developing world. Women leadership and empowerment gained currency all over the world. The proliferation of women leaders in the United States, Europe, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal and the Gambia are global strides which most analysts regard as the fallout of the growth in the number of girls who have access to education across the developing world.
Does this development suggest that the gender gap has been bridged, or does it mean that Female Gender Mutilation (FGM), Forced Marriages, Rape and Domestic Violence have been effectively curtailed, as argued by pessimists of our times?
There is still a lot of work to be done. According to the United Nations' report on the World Social Situation in 2010, women are still subject of structural exclusion in societies and are perceived as inferior and subordinate to men. Women are overrepresented among people living in poverty and suffer exclusion of basic education, landownership and employment. That is why equality issues should be considered in development programming.
Pushing the women agenda requires both national governments and civil society organizations working in partnership across the globe. Ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) by the U.N as the global political, social and economic powerhouse will positively shape the women agenda across our civilized world. It is further important to understand that for African women to fully realize the Beijing Platform For Action (BPFA), ratifying and implementing the African Union (AU) protocol on the Rights of African Women will further concretize the Beijing Platform For Action (BPFA) adopted in 1995.
Year 2010 will be remembered in history for the Ratification of CEDAW by the Obama administration and African Union (AU) protocols on the rights of African women by the remaining African nations.
As the United States President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle marked the International Women's Day on 8th March 2010 at the White House, Washington D.C., the President stated thus:
“I'm very proud to have appointed so many brilliant women to so many essential posts in our government. But I'm even prouder of what each of them is doing - and what all of us are doing - to make life better in America and around the world, because lifting up the prospects of our daughters will require all of us doing our parts. And that's why we've established a new white House Council on women and girls chaired by a Senior Advisor, Valerie Jarrett, that will help make sure that every part of our government is working to address the challenges faced by women and girls. We're doing all of this not only because promoting women's empowerment is one of the best ways to promote economic development and economic success. We are doing it because it's the right thing to do. I say that not only as a President, but also as the father of two daughters, as a son and a grandson and as a husband.”
If we can borrow from the 'speech of the United States President above, it will go a long way in bringing justice to our land. Let us practise same rights, same opportunities and same dream within the reach of our daughters and sons alike. Let us bring this dream within the reach of our people no matter their gender, race or faith.
Mrs. Janet Makun, Chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers, Kogi State Chapter was a participant at the conference in New York, USA.

Mrs. Makun and Barr. (Miss) Amina Adejo