Balm For The Bruised Foundation Represented As Organisations Collaborate To Ensure Gender Inclusion In Nigeria 

Balm For The Bruised Foundation Represented As Organisations Collaborate To Ensure Gender Inclusion In Nigeria

Adaora Ezeaka Abuja

The gender inclusion journey started as early as 1975 when world leaders met in Mexico to commit themselves to gender equality but 47 years after, the story remains the same.

Since the return from the first World Conference on women, it has been proven that the promises are yet to be implemented thereby, having negative social and economic effects on women.

For instance, women, and girls living in Nigeria have been subjects of patriarchal systems and culture which influence their access to education, health facilities, empowerment politics and decision making.

It is on this backdrop, that organisations such as the European Union, U.S Embassy, British High Commission among others gathered in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city for a programme tagged “Gender and Inclusion Summit 2022” with the theme: “connecting the dots for a gender inclusive society.”

The programme, convened by the Policy Innovation Centre of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, was an opportunity for these organisations, to make promises about what they have done and hope to do in Nigeria to ensure gender inclusion in Nigeria especially ahead of the 2023 general election.

The organisers on their part, agreed that the absence of gender inclusivity in Nigeria spells doom for the economic and social development of the country.

Balm for the Bruised Foundation, BforBFoundation was represented at the recent the programme by Chief Executive of the foundation, Princess-Ekwi Ajide.

The Gender and Inclusion Summit, tackled topics such as battered in silence: Rethinking Faith, culture and the legal Ecosystem around gender based violence in Nigeria, access to justice for survivors of gender based violence, expanding financial inclusion for Nigerian women, together yet divided among many others.