By Sade Oguntola
NATIONAL president, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Dr Kemi Otolorin, says that if Nigeria is to embrace equity for girls and womenfolk, it must be intentional in creating unique opportunities and provide the needed resources that will enable them reach an equal goal in education, health, job placement and politics.
Otolorin, who spoke at a media briefing to commemorate the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD), said that gender inequality in Nigeria remains a big challenge and is influenced by different cultures and beliefs.
Otolorin, who was flanked by Dr Oyindamola Adeyemi, President, MWAN Oyo State chapter, Dr Gbemisola Daramola, Dr Olayinka Eyelade, Dr Funmilayo Adeyemi, Dr Adesola Odofin among others, said that in most parts of Nigeria, women are considered as subordinate to their male counterparts and women account for most of Nigeria’s unemployment and underemployment.
She declared that “Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and therefore allocates the exact resources and opportunities that they need for them to reach an equal outcome.
“If we truly believe in value and embrace equity, then women are more likely to have access to what’s required to succeed.
“Our women remain victims of gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, rape, child marriage, forced prostitution and kidnapping for ransom and ritual murder for money.
“From the health point of view, our women continue to bear the brunt of global procreation to keep the human race from becoming extinct. In Nigeria, up to 576 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth out of every 100,000 live births, and 95 percent of these deaths are quite preventable.”
Otolorin, who declared women’s readiness and preparedness to contribute their quota to the growth and development of Nigeria, said women should stand up and say No collectively to political marginalization of women, unequal representation of women in decision-making bodies, inequity in accessing health care services, education disparity against the girl-child, as well as all forms of gender-based violence and discriminatory employment practices, including wage disparity.
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