Nigeria Youth SDGs, alongside ONE Campaign, Junior Chambers International (JCI) organized an advocacy consultation with the MDAs on 26th and 27th April 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria. The visit aimed to highlight the issues affecting young women’s economic empowerment and present critical insights from the joint Issue Brief research. The youth-led network consortium worked on strengthening the gender-centric approach in the existing framework, policy, and intervention in Nigeria.
With women making up 49.4 per cent of Nigeria’s 205 million population and essentially occupying the informal sector, they continue to encounter specific obstacles in tapping economic opportunities. The barriers include and are not limited to unfavourable tax policies, limited access to finance, low gender mandate in intervention and lack of information. The pandemic has also contributed to exacerbating gender disparity in the young women workforce and participation in the economy. While the government has put various frameworks and interventions to foster women empowerment, it has continued to gain less traction and engagement over the years.
During the meeting, the missing piece in development policies for young women, key challenges for women labour force participation, SMEs landscape constraints, gaps and lapses in the existing intervention were identified and deliberated on by the consortium and the MDAs representative. In a presentation made by Miss Taofeekat Adigun, Community Engagement Officer for Nigeria Youth SDGs, “We are aware of the positive work and existing policy and intervention done by the MDAs. We advocate for a gender lens and create an enabling environment in their various approaches to advancing gender equality and economic growth.”
Young women’s empowerment and development are crucial to reducing gender gaps in the labour market and fostering economic growth. Policy, plan, practice and intervention must carefully prioritize a gender lens approach for optimum outcome. In a statement made by Mr Fatai Razaq, Africa Policy and Advocacy Manager for ONE Campaign, he said: “investing in the social and economic well-being of young women is crucial to harnessing the demographic dividend, and the economy can grow by 2025 if women participated in the economy to the same extent as men.”
Strengthening engagement with youth-led and focused networks is crucial in raising public awareness and amplifying the work done by the MDAs. The Director for Enterprise Development and Promotion Department of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr Mohmo Olugbenga Idris, particularly expressed how pleased he is to see young people and leaders enthusiastic about driving change, working earnestly to advance SDG and prioritizing young people’s transformation. He mentioned exploring collaboration with the youth network and prioritizing the recommended ideas and feedback highlighted in the issue brief by the consortium.
Furthermore, with MSMEs becoming the primary source of income for many young women in the country, there is a need to address business, finance, policy and environmental constraints that can impede growth and sustainability. Mr Adeyemo Adeonipekun, Executive Secretary for Junior Chamber International Nigeria, noted that providing more institutional support and opportunity can enhance the entrepreneurial zest of young women and promote inclusive economic growth.
Overall, the advocacy meeting has proven vital in ensuring young people’s voices are heard and included. The productive engagement has led to openness and willingness to connect action, plans and resources to prioritize the gender lens approach on effective programs and interventions in the pipeline by the MDAs to foster women economic empowerment.
You can download the Issue Brief here.
This project is supported by funding from Development Research and Partnership Centre through the Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED) project.
