BY OLASUNKANMI AKONI AND MONSUR OLOWOPEJO
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and his Osun State counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday, voted for gender equality, seeking an end to wanton discrimination and exploitation of women in their quest for leadership positions in the country.
The two Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governors made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the 12th National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, COWLSO, in Lagos.
Fashola in his address, commended the organization of the three-day conference, and charged the participants to take on the challenge to mitigate the risks that women face as they take on leadership responsibility.
Similarly, Aregbesola said that research by the World Bank in 2000 revealed that societies with large, persistent gender inequalities pay the price of more poverty, malnutrition, illness, and other deprivations.
He therefore called for more participation of women in the policy formation and implementation process, noting that the spectacular activities of COWLSO are unmistakable examples of what women can do if given the chance.
"Why are ladies employed because of their looks, especially in our financial institutions for the purpose of marketing for deposits, rather than providing real financial solutions which they have the capacity to provide?"
Vanguard Nigeria
That is a great move from them.Gender discrimination must stop!!!