By Moruff Adenekan
Globally, women are under-represented in leadership and decision-making within political, public and corporate spaces. According to UN Women, gender disparity, low participation in elective and appointive positions and gender-based violence are major setbacks for women worldwide, especially in developing countries. In Africa, patriarchy and societal norms overtly and covertly subjugate women and girls and contribute to inequality and exclusion.
Nigeria, currently without comprehensive legislation that protects or advances women’s rights, exemplifies this inequality. These inequalities manifest in the poor numbers for girl-child education, low numbers of women in leadership, and abysmal representation in public life. The manifestation continues in the high numbers of maternal and child mortality, high numbers of exclusion, widening pay gap between men and women, and alarming numbers of sexual and gender-based violence.
