8th March, 2023
Lagos, Nigeria
IMS calls for Increased Capacity Building and Deepened Political
Participation of Women.
The Institute for Media and Society, IMS, has called on stakeholders to
commit to taking action to promote increased capacity-building on digital literacy and deepened political participation of women to strengthen
democracy and development in Nigeria.
This call is made as the world today commemorates The International
Women’s Day, IWD a day set aside to recognize the social, economic,
cultural, and political accomplishments of women, and to encourage people
to speak out against discrimination based on gender and build an inclusive
society.
The theme for this year is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender
equality”. This theme is aligned with the priority theme for the upcoming
67th Session of the United Nation on the Status of Women (CSW-67),
“Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for
achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.
IMS notes that this day is particularly significant in Nigeria because the
history of the nation can only be completed with reference to meaningful
contributions of strong, tenacious and goal-getting women who have
enhanced the development of the country.
It is on record that Nigerian women have continued to perform actively in all
areas of our national life and turn out accomplishments which deserve to be
honoured all the time.
As we celebrate women in Nigeria and the world over, we also want to
acknowledge challenges that still need to be addressed so that women will
be able to realize their full potentials and take their contributions to greater
heights.
Women are still under-represented in politics. The statistics of women in
elective and appointive positions in Nigeria sufficiently indicates a far cry
from expectations. Barriers are stacked against women within political
parties and in the electoral process. We use this occasion to call on all
stakeholders, state and non-state actors, to renew commitment towards
addressing under-representation of women in political and public offices.
IMS acknowledges that the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and national
government policies have amplified pre-existing challenges encountered by
women and girls, such as poverty, domestic violence, education, healthcare
and others. We recommend that government should prioritise women and
girls as it fashions solutions to these problems through various sectors.
Our reflections on the theme of this year’s IWD also throws up critical
observations on the digital reality in Nigeria. We see clear gaps in the areas
of skillsets, tools and software.
We urge the government, Civil Society, and other stakeholders to take steps
to promote access to hardware and to digital information, reduce online
harm for the girl-child and women.
Importantly, equitable access to digital technology and digital information
will create multiplier effects for the girl-child, and women to flourish in the
society.
Dr. Akin Akingbulu.
Executive Director
Institute for Media and Society
For more information, please contact:
Timothy Bamidele
+234-8056544562
timothy.bamidele@imesoimeso.org
