The Country Women Deserve -By Kene Obiezu

It is  unacceptable, and even scandalous that Nigeria, a country where women have always stood tall, and continue to  play such critical roles, has been ranked the sixteenth unsafest country  for women.

Where do Nigerian women rank in the grand scheme of things? Certainly, the country of Tobi Amusan,  Chimamanda Adichie, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Hilda Baci, should have  enough space for women to thrive? No?

According to the 2023 Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index report, Nigeria ranks as the sixteenth most unsafe country for women in the world.

If this is not a scandal, then pray what is?

The odds stacked against women in Nigeria are well documented. In a country that is the perfect microcosm of a patriarchal world, women play second fiddle  to men in almost every sphere of life.

In politics especially, while women form the bulk of the Nigerian electorate and grassroots supporters, they embarrassingly play  catch-up when the pies are go be shared.

According to the report, Nigeria ranks 16th worst country out  of 177 nations  in terms of the status of women.

The ranking was  compiled along indicators linked to education, jobs, laws, and organized violence, divided into three categories: inclusion, justice, and security.

According to the report, all the bottom 20 countries, including Nigeria, experienced violent conflicts between 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, 2022 has been identified as the most fatal year for conflict-related deaths since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

According to the rankings, the top five countries for women to live in are Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland.

The greatest indicator of the unmitigated marginalisation of women in Nigeria is in politics. The National Gender Policy prescribes that 35 per cent of all political appointments  be reserved for women.

If the  NGP has been given a particularly short shrift by successive Nigerian administrations because it is a mere policy, there was a groundbreaking judgment of the Federal High Court in 2022.

The Court ruled that thirty-five per cent of all political appointments should be reserved for women.

The current administration which took off on May 29 has not abided the judgment of the court even if it initially promised to do so.

A raft of early  appointments initially promised to meet the 35% requirement for women until follow-up appointments put paid  to those hopes.

There is no doubt that the trend has to be reversed soonest if Nigeria is to drop out of the list of the worst countries for women completely.

Women are nation builders, peacemakers and crucial components in the wheel of any nation that aspires to development.

As Nigeria has teethered very dangerously on the brink of complete disintegration due to bad governance and insecurity, women have emerged as heads of families and breadwinners.

The benefits of creating an inclusive society for women are well documented. It includes significant gains for children and the economy.

It also includes great strides in all the indices that decorate a prosperous society.

What Nigeria must do is clear- build a society that prominently features women in every sphere.

In politics, education, the economy and just everywhere, women should be granted the visibility they need to contribute what they have in abundance. It is Nigeria that will be better for it.

It has to begin from allowing women to participate in the highest levels of government.

When women are allowed to play their part in taking the decisions which affect them, they are able to better shape policies that would benefit them and their children the most.

There is a lot more that women can contribute than they are doing at the moment. Allowing them to contribute only makes sense.

Promoting and enforcing legislation that promotes the rights of women is vital as is bringing to account all those who make the country unsafe for women.

To do otherwise is to ignore a crucial part of it, much to its own peril.

For as long as women remain where they are in the country, Nigeria can expect to continue its painful slug to national development.

Kene Obiezu

keneobiezu@gmail.com