Sanusi, religious leaders, others partner to fight gender injustice
African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development Centre (LSD), in collaboration with traditional and religious leaders on Tuesday launched “Side by Side Movement’’ to fight gender inequality in Nigeria.
The Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, who said this at the launch of the movement in Nigeria, noted that inequality had continued to prevail as a result of selfishness of leaders.
Sanusi, represented by Mr Ahmed Umar, the Dan Malikin Kano, said that traditional institutions as the layer of leadership closest to the grassroots understood the plight of the people.
“We are religious people in Nigeria and we are also endowed in so many ways, so I will employ the leaders to be selfless and to use their positions for the good of the people.
“ We have the resources, we have all that it takes to make Nigeria a great nation, greater than it is, and there is no reason why we should have less.’’
The monarch urged leaders to shun corrupt practices that endanger the lives of Nigerians as that was all that was required for Nigeria to prosper.
His Royal Majesty, Oba Adebayo Adewole, the Owa Ajero of Ijero Kingdom, Ekiti State, said that there was the need for women to be given their dues.
Adewole said that women could attain any height when given the opportunity as replicated in his cabinet where both women and men were represented.
“In my cabinet, I have male and female chiefs, male and female priests; and I can assure you that our female chiefs are doing very well like their male counterparts.
“So I am here to lend my voice to the fact that gender equality must be promoted in Nigeria and women and girls must be respected and given their dues.’’
Igbuzor said that the approach was to stand firmly in the fight for gender equality and transforming discriminatory and unequal power relationship to promote justice, love and dignity.
He noted that women were discriminated against and their contributions were not recognised as they continued to experience violence and exclusion, politically and economically.
He, however, said it had been established that to accelerate global development, women should be given their proper place in society.
He said that would ensure gender justice and that responsibility was on traditional leaders and faith-based organisations.
He said that they were in the position to better interpret the sacred text of every religionwithout looking at it through the eyes of patriarchy.
According to Igbuzor, when that is done, discrimination that is sanctioned by religious and traditional practices will be done away with and violence against women would be reduced.
He said that Side by Side movement would leverage on the text of the Quran and the Bible to encourage religious leaders to correctly interpret them to protect the girl-child and women.
