Causes of inequality, by Oxfam

Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

An international non-governmental organisation, Oxfam in Nigeria has identified poor budgeting system, retrogressive taxation, and prohibitive cost of governance as some of the things that make Nigeria unequal.

Others are poor policy implementation, poor resource management-capital/recurrent and elite capture/favouritism.

It urged governments at all levels to accelerate the enthronement of gender parity and equality in the country.

Its Country Director, Constant Tchona said these during an event to mark this year’s International Women’s Day in Abuja on Monday.

This year’s celebration had “An equal world is an enabled world” as its theme.

The organisation noted that Nigeria was yet to achieve gender equality despite some progress made since the Beijing 1995 declaration.

He said: “We are using this celebration as an opportunity to reflect on progress made. Since Beijing 1995, we have seen some advances- more girls are in school, fewer women are dying in childbirth, there are more women in parliaments and there is a greater number of laws supporting women’s equality.

“Despite the progress, Nigeria has not achieved gender equality. We have millions of girls that are still not in school, the majority of women continue to shoulder the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work, many women are still facing various forms of gender-based violence, men still hold most of all parliamentary seats, most managerial positions in boardrooms and most ministerial positions in government in Nigeria.

“This is why we are using this celebration to call for faster change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of Nigeria and communities to advance gender equality.

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“The Beijing Platform for Action will never be realised in Nigeria if all women and girls are not acknowledged and prioritised. We are then using this day to mark a call to action for accelerating gender parity and equality.”

He noted that women must be given equal representation in governance.

Tchona also said there was need to mobilise to end gender-based violence, guarantee bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health and rights.

He called for economic justice and rights for all.

Tchona said: “To get there, we need to focus on gender equal government at all levels across Nigeria, at the local government level, state level, including the Houses of Assemblies, the Federal level including the appointive and elective positions.

“We can’t get this done without reminding everyone of the 35% affirmative action which we now recommend should be made a law so that Africa’s most populous country and largest democracy can begin to emulate other countries in Africa such as Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa in gender representation in government.

“We need to mobilise to end gender-based violence, guarantee bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health and rights, we call for economic justice and rights for all. We can create this equal world from our home, our communities, our offices, our market place, our farms and our government.”