UN Women Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ms. Beatrice Eyong, on Monday acknowledged Nigeria’s significant strides in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) over the past three decades.
She stressed the country’s progress in women’s political participation, economic empowerment, education, and efforts to combat gender-based violence.
Eyong disclosed this in Abuja at the high-level consultation on Nigeria’s Beijing+30 Report Review in preparation for the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69).
She, however, acknowledged the persistent gaps, emerging challenges, and new opportunities that require collective action to drive transformative change.
Eyong emphasized that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, remains one of the most comprehensive global frameworks for achieving gender equality.
“Over the past three decades, Nigeria has made commendable progress in key areas of gender equality. However, we must also recognize the persistent gaps, emerging challenges, and new opportunities that require our collective action to drive transformative change,” she said.
She stressed that the consultation serves as a crucial step in ensuring that Nigeria’s national report for the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) is inclusive, reflective of diverse perspectives, and aligned with the realities of Nigerian women and girls.
She added, “Your participation today, whether from government, civil society, academia, or the development sector, demonstrates our shared commitment to reviewing progress, identifying key priorities, and shaping strategic recommendations for Nigeria’s gender equality agenda beyond Beijing+30.”
Eyong reaffirmed UN Women’s commitment to supporting the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and other stakeholders in accelerating gender-responsive policies, strengthening women’s leadership, and ensuring sustained progress on commitments made under the BPfA.
In her remarks, Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by Mrs. Friya Bulus, Deputy Director at the Ministry, urged participants to identify the gaps and challenges hindering women’s empowerment and produce a report that aligns with global best practices.
She further called on participants to develop an inclusive report that reflects national realities and meets global best practices.
The consultation is expected to shape Nigeria’s strategy for gender equality beyond Beijing+30 and ensure its representation at CSW69 reflects the nation’s achievements and ongoing challenges.
