Federal and various state governments have been called upon to ensure that women are not left out but well captured in the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination in the country.
Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), a non-governmental organisation, made the call on Monday at a media roundtable to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day celebration at Ireti Resource Centre, in Lagos.
Speaking at the forum, Executive Director of WRAHP, Mrs Bose Ironsi, said women and girl-children need adequate attention and must be given equal recognition and opportunity with their male counterparts on issues that concern and affect them and important to their well-being. She spoke on a theme: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.”
She said, unfortunately, Nigeria’s society had not been fair nor kind enough to women folks particularly in decision makings and leadership roles even on issues that directly concern them including family issues.
She said now that women and girls were affected even more than men and boys by the COVID-19 pandemic, they deserve to be given priority and equal opportunity not only in vaccination programme but also on issues that would make them part of the solutions to societal problems and mitigation of the effects of the pandemic.
She said it was unheard of that cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and girls are still very rampant in the country, calling for concrete actions by government and non-government actors to kick-out the menace from the society.
She said
it would be difficult for Nigeria to become a prosperous and inclusive society without reinventing its approach to how it is treating the women and girls living in the country.
While disclosing that WRAHP handled up to 200 cases of SGBV ranging from battery to child abuse and neglect in 2020 alone, Mrs Ironsi said women voices in all cases must not only be heard but also be part of decision makings.
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