The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, looked stunning in her navy blue attire with a complementing scarf as she shook hands with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu.
Edu, 36, the youngest among the ministers, look beautiful in her floral green attire. But it was her bright smile and the determined look in her eyes that caught my attention as I read through the report, “Ministers lay out plan for nation’s development”, on Page 2 of The Nation newspaper yesterday. But, the picture got me thinking as I took a sip from the blend of ginger, turmeric and honey drink I was drinking, forcing my hands to scribble these thoughts for the new ministers and, by extension, the new administration.
Congratulations to you our elegant and brilliant Women Ministers.
I charge you with the quote of former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama: “No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.”
Dear women ministers, as you set out to implement President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, remember fellow women! Remember the words of Nigeria’s former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first African woman to become the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation: “Investing in women is smart economics, and investing in girls, catching them upstream is even smarter economics”.
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It is, indeed, economic sense to promulgate policies and programmes that would improve the lives of women and wellbeing of the womenfolk across all sectors, not only the ones headed by women.
Among other propostion I have in mind, I’ll like to end with this proactive proposition by United Nations Women that calls for policy and social reforms that put gender equality and sustainability at the centre of progress, starting with these five key ways to drive change.
They tagged it: Five ways to build gender equality and sustainability. Hear them: “From increasing women’s representation in leadership and decision-making to redistributing care-work and productive resources, progress towards a gender equal and sustainable future starts with taking action today.
Empower women smallholders and female-owned businesses
“Over the last few decades, 55 per cent of the improvement in food security in developing countries has been driven by programmes promoting women’s empowerment.
Protect women’s health
“At the same time, climate disasters often pull resources away from women’s health services and services to support survivors of gender-based violence. As climate change worsens, it is critical that these services are strengthened and expanded to help keep women healthy and safe
Invest in care
“The global economy depends on the unpaid and underpaid care work primarily carried out by women.
Fund women organisations and support leadership
“At the national and the community level, women’s representation and leadership appear to drive better environmental outcome… women are more likely to consider their families and communities in decision-making processes.”