By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As the world marks the 2023 World Day of Social Justice, WSJD, the Nigerian Feminist Forum, NFF, has called on the Federal Government to end the prevailing cases of Gender inequality and all forms of barriers against women access to equal opportunities and inclusive development.
In a press release to mark the Day in Nigeria, NFF used the ocassion of the WSJD to call on the Federal, State and Local levels to take bold steps to remove all barriers to social justice for women and to ensure that opportunities for the advancement of social justice for women are in place.
The Feminist group expressed deep dissatisfaction that often women at all spheres of public and private levels are daily confronted by discrimination and inequality.
“They face violence, abuse and unequal treatment at home, at work and in their wider communities – and are denied opportunities to learn, to earn and to lead.”
“Women form the majority of those living in poverty. They have fewer resources, less power and less influence compared to men, and continue to experience further inequality because of their class, ethnicity and age, as well as religious and other fundamentalism.”
Furthermore , NFF laments that contrary to the Nigerian Constitution which provides for gender equality and non-discrimination of women, women with disabilities and gender non-conforming people continue to suffer injustices and marginalization due to discriminatory laws, religious and cultural norms, and the disproportionate effect of poverty on women’s lives.
While Nigerian women have continued to champion activism and advocacy over the years, the Nigerian government at the local, state and federal levels are still failing in the fight for gender equality.
We cannot ignore the fact that social injustice is an important principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence for all in the country. We make this critical call to government at all levels to remove the barriers that hold women back from thriving due to patriarchy, social and cultural biases including gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability, NFF stated.
The Forum urged all tiers of government to address such social and economic inequalities that hold women back from achieving their potential through commitments in order of creating an inclusive and equitable economy that benefits all, particularly women regardless of their background or circumstances.
Ensure twomen have access to basic services such as healthcare, education, clean water, and sanitation,r
Promote gender equality and empower women and girls.s among other enabling factors
