The Mothers And Marginalised Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre) has expressed concern over the impact of the continous rising cost of general goods and services on the rightsholders, female-headed households across all levels.
The Executive Director, MAMA Centre, Chioma Kanu, stated this in Abuja and said,: “We observed that prior to the rising inflation, Nigerian women have been disproportionately affected by poverty, socio-economic hardship, discrimination and exploitation across spheres including in politics, paid employment, inheritance as well as the informal private sector, where the recurring illegal and multiple taxes/levies cripple financial capacity and earning progression of women.
“We recall that women including the rightsholders have been marginalised in all spheres of the economy including various inequalities that featured in under-paid or poorly paid employment rewards and other benefits. As a result, rightsholders constitute the vulnerable and socio-economic deprived group whose families live below poverty line, estimated at $1.90 per person per day in 2019 World Bank Report,” she said.
Kanu explained that, while an estimated 82.1% of women in Nigeria actively participate in the informal sector, such as agriculture and small businesses, their earning and financial capacity are hampered by multiple, illegal taxes—unlawful compulsory payments collected by the government without appropriate legal backing through intimidation and harassment of the women.
She noted worridness that, despite huge budgetary allocation to various empowerment interventions at national and sub-national policy levels, all have failed to address the socio-economic plight of women, for lack of proper consultation, needs assessment and accountability at community levels.
Kanu further said that, the centre also observed that the continous rise in cost of living in Nigeria has exposed women without adequate policy measures, has to a large extent amplified socio-economic and financial burdens on the women population in all spheres, especially the female-headed households, which are already rendered incapacitated to provide for themselves and their dependant families.
This she averred is in addition to the continued physical and emotional abuses that women including the rights-holders endure in their various homes and communities.
Kanu reiterate the centre’s position on gender equality as an imperative for progress, socio-economic emancipation and development in societies across the world.
She called for adequate policy attention to address the huge differences in the various inequality faced by Nigerian women ranging from cultural representation, political inclusion, socio-economic capacity, education attainment to domestic burdens and child marriage.
“We uphold that adequate investment in women’s socio-economic empowerment at all levels will set a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth in Nigeria; as women contribute tremendously to the economy, whether in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home.
“Just as promoting women’s economic justice and rights and closing gender gaps across spheres in the country and at community levels are key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
“We are not unaware that women constitute more than half of the population in most states in Nigeria, having their own right with potential, wisdom, talents and skill that they can contribute to develop the country,”she noted.
She acknowledge and commend the resilience of MAMA Centre’s rightsholders across Udi Local Government of Enugu state under the aegis of Accountability for Empowerment project supported by Voice Nigeria for their tireless effort at demanding policy accountability on abandoned livelihood road projects that have potential to positively enhance their socio-economic status.