Cross River Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Edak Iwuchukwu, has called for a draft gender policy in the country to promote the wellbeing of men and women.
Iwuchukwu said this on Wednesday in Calabar at a stakeholders’ meeting for the validation of Cross Rivers State Draft Gender Policy.
She said that the ministry was trying to put in place a gender policy that would serve as a working document for the state on gender issues.
According to her, the 38-paged gender policy is a framework to ensure the review of previous policies, programmes and structure for equity.
She said that the document was divided into three parts – context and rationale, policy framework/policy strategy and institutional framework.
“The intention is to achieve minimum threshold representation for men and women to promote equal opportunities in all areas of political, social and economic life of the state,’’ she said.
Iwuchukwu said that Nigeria was still far from attaining the 35 per cent affirmative action in favour of women.
A representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr Austin Onyeke, said that the validation of the draft would speed up a reduction in maternal death rate.
Onyeke said that other harmful practices against women would also be halted if the draft was validated in the state. He commended the state government for putting a process in place for a draft gender policy.
Onyeke pledged the continuous support and partnership of UNFPA with the State Ministry of Women Affairs on women empowerment to ensure that the girl child was catered for.
Mr Joshua Ida, the lead consultant, Management and Development Consultant on Gender Issues, stated that the policy framework was in line with the National Gender Policy.
He said that the journey on the policy began in 2012, with inputs to Ministries, Departments and Agencies and market women to interact at various levels.
Ida said that the policy would provide a framework for gender responsiveness in all public and private sectors.
“It will also strengthen capacities of all stakeholders to deliver their component mandate of the gender policy and its implementation framework.
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