UN urged to do more for women

The Abuja-based organisation stated this while commenting on the recently held 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly for First Ladies of Member States.The session discussed gaps, health challenges and picture areas of concern from the Beijing +20 on Women Reproductive and Sexual Health.In a statement issued in Abuja and made available to Daily […]

The Abuja-based organisation stated this while commenting on the recently held 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly for First Ladies of Member States.
The session discussed gaps, health challenges and picture areas of concern from the Beijing +20 on Women Reproductive and Sexual Health.
In a statement issued in Abuja and made available to Daily Trust yesterday, CISLAC’s Executive Director Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) said though women constitute over 50 per cent of the world’s population and perform two-third of the world’s work, they receive one-tenth of the world’s income.
The statement also observed that in Nigeria, majority of girls and women face real-time poverty, gross inequality, molestation and injustice, denying them effort to acquire meaningful skills and contribute positively towards the nation’s development.
The executive director said series of discrimination and atrocities against women include poor education, poor nutrition, violence and brutalization, vulnerability and low pay employment.
On governance, the statement said since democratic rule in 1999, women are under-represented in all key political decision making bodies in Nigeria, as only 25 out of the 360 members of the Nigerian House of Representatives and about 4% of local government councillors are women.
“In eight Northern States, over 80% of women are unable to read as reported by UK Department for International Development (DFID) in 2012,” he said.