Today, March 8, marks this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD). The annual event aims to draw the world’s attention to the predicament of women and their role as leaders in the political and socio-economic development of society. It is also about promoting peace-building, subsistence and raising consciousness of women’s rights and the institutional defiances of gender equality.Women’s Day has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) characteristically to celebrate women’s attainments in the political, economical, religious and cultural sphere and to raise understanding about women’s equality as well as lobby for accelerated gender parity. It is also to bring to the front burner the imperative of expediting women’s equality, giving voices to female actors and players on various podiums.
The theme of this year’s event is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.”  It aims at highlighting the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality and meeting the health and developmental needs of women and girls.This theme is critical as it calls  for a gender-equal world, that is free from prejudice and discrimination and is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.   In the absence of gender equality today, a sustainable future and a prospect of equality remain unattainable.From the turn of events, we need not be told that women, and worst of all, African women, are at the greatest risk of being left out from progression in Africa. Decisions about their general well-being are taken right behind them. We must not back a scenario that cannot be absolved from the erosion of the continent’s development pace.
As Nigeria builds on the successes of the digital economy sector, which is the most successful in the diversification of the nation’s economy, and the start-up act, which creates endless opportunities for Nigerians in the technology space, it is imperative that women and girls in the country be given access to equal opportunities, live their dreams and contribute immensely to the development of the country.Thus, i is only ungodly to turn blind eyes at  the hard work and dedication of Nigerian women towards  achieving results in different fields of endeavor; from those sacrificing daily in the markets and farms to train the next generation of leaders, to those breaking limits in education, sports, medical field, arts, entertainment and even in politics, even where they are  largely under-represented.
Here in Nigeria, former President Goodluck Jonathan sparked the spirit of inclusion of women in governance by considering 35 per cent affirmative action. It was customary to expect future administrations to consolidate the work of Jonathan. Regrettably, this is not the case. Nigerians were disappointed and aggrieved at the actions of the 9th National Assembly (NASS) about this time last year when they denied women the opportunity of inclusion and representation in governance by voting against the gender bills.Needles to say that Nigerian women have come a long way, they are no neophytes in every sense of it as they have proven against all obstacles, that  women in leadership positions have what it takes to deliver  in a society still largely dominated by men. President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledged this as he joined  Nigerian women in celebrating the International Women’s Day (IWD), in recognizing the invaluable role women have played in advancing the progress of the country since independence.
A statement signed by Femi Adesina, the presidential spokesperson, quoted Buhari as saying that women in leadership positions have contributed significantly to the development of the country through hard work and determination. He described them as “amazons who have served meritoriously as partners in the progress witnessed on the political, economic and social fronts.”Modestly speaking, Nigeria needs to wake up in the league of African countries as over 33 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including 13 countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania  as well as South Africa, have long been enforcing a quota-type model aimed at increasing the number of women in  legislative rank.
It is therefore, unacceptable that women must always negotiate what must be achieved, and that men must always vote and decide whether they will accept it or not. This trend is troubling and should be discontinued. There is no reason for women to be treated as such, because the Constitution does not impede them from exercising the same rights as their male counterparts.There is a need to ensure that every institutional constraint or bottleneck on the way to women empowerment, especially in politics and leadership, is disenabled to enhance their contributions to socio-economic development.
To achieve equality between women and men, it is essential to have a clear understanding of how women are discriminated against and denied equality to develop appropriate strategies to eliminate such prejudices. Therefore, given their vital role in generating and maintaining peace and engineering social justice and equitable societies, they should be given more leadership opportunities at all levels.It is clear that the best way to achieve sustainable socio-political and economic development is for Nigeria to consciously enact legislation and policies that contribute to the cause of women. Human rights must be looked upon as women’s rights. Societies which promote and protect human rights do better in advancing the cause of women.
Efforts to reduce violence against women and their children need to be scaled up. At least, 1.2 million Nigerian women over the age of 15 have been victims of domestic violence. In most cases, adolescent girls and women experience intersecting disadvantages due to factors such as age, gender, ethnic origin, gender identity, religious beliefs, income, disability and more.There are images that stir up girls and women in various situations such as domestic violence, favouritism, gender inequality and human rights abuses. Women should emancipate themselves from the coercive patriarchal systems that deny them heritage rights and other harmful cultural practices, and end their limited access to credit, health care and education
As the country jostles for a new government, it is only expedient that the incoming administration be committed to “promoting gender equality, respect for the rights of women and work conscientiously to remove all barriers that prevent Nigerian women from realising their universal rights. Establishing  a ministry  that would focus primarily  on using the digital economy to promote gender equality will be a welcome development.

By: Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi