growth, destined to take to new heights West Africa’s thriving global
economy. Having made tremendous strides in recent years to combat its
large gender gap in employment, it appears that Nigeria has
successfully affirmed its reputation as a future driver of swift
autonomous development from within the continent. We at African Brains
commend the Federal Government for prioritizing the need for more
women to hold leadership positions within both the private and public
sectors.
Notably, five banks now boast female chief executive officers, while
the Central Bank of Nigeria has launched efforts to establish a
special fund to provide assistance to female entrepreneurs. With women
now accounting for roughly one-third of Nigeria’s cabinet, savvy
female politicians such as Communications Technology Minister Omobola
Johnson are breaking gender stereotypes, and indeed the much thicker
“glass ceiling” often observed in emerging markets, as she
single-handedly takes on the country’s tough connectivity issues.
Truly on track to becoming the next 21stcentury miracle in Africa,
Nigeria rapidly ascends to the echelon of the newly-labeled MINT
(Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey). This juggernaut of the
ECOWAS should continue advancing its plan to grow gender equality in
the workplace, so as to benefit from the demographic’s potential and
while doing so, reinvent its domestic economic landscape.
Nigeria has unquestionably succeeded in advancing a woman’s role in
the economy as of late, working to train larger numbers for
professional jobs. But with only 38 percent of women participating in
the workforce today – despite their accounting for over half of
Nigeria’s population – much work remains to be done. Gender
stereotypes are still a very pressing issue in the country, which
forces most Nigerian women into low-paying, high-turnover jobs in the
agricultural and domestic sectors. Decreasing the “prestige of
working” for women, these jobs affect public perception of how much
women can contribute to the national economy. As a result, despite
Nigeria’s policies to advance its female workers, the female labor
participation rose by just 3 percent from 1990 to 2010.
Thus, indisputably, as Nigeria seeks to overcome South Africa as
Africa’s largest economy by 2020, further targeted reforms are needed
to grow employment opportunities for female workers. Although the
Labor Act, which ensures maternal leave for working mothers, as well
as the UN Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women, will one day serve as mechanisms for ensuring women’s place in
the Nigerian economy, today they must be complemented by a suite of
robust reforms. Strategic efforts should be made to enhance access to
education for young girls to ensure that they receive the requisite
skills to secure status-enhancing jobs, while the concept of “women
working” must be branded nationally.
Today’s globally interconnected world offers Nigeria a bevy of
examples to follow of nations that have succeeded in advancing women’s
role in the economy. Developed economies, with few exceptions, are
bastions of gender equality in employment. In thriving EU states from
Sweden to Germany, the female workforce is not only liberated, but has
been credited with playing a major role in taking these countries from
the age of industrialization to the era of technology. With the gender
gap in employment closing fast in Europe, female workers occupy an
increasing number of leadership positions in the economy, government,
and the non-profit sector, while significantly contributing to the
prosperity of their nations.
Yet, Nigeria need not look as far as Europe to find inspiration.
Although much work remains to be done regionally, as far as boosting
gender quality in employment is concerned, the Middle East and North
Africa have made very impressive strides in their own fight against a
highly related issue – the habitually large gender gap facing these
countries. While women today in the region are now surprisingly more
likely to attend university than men, as the Internet impacts the
formation of local ideas, such as women’s role in public affairs,
there are many examples of women taking the lead. Subtly advancing
women’s role in society, for instance, Queen Rania of Jordan (who now
even boasts an Instagram account) has shown that women can be modern,
tech-savvy, and integrated globally, while honoring tradition. These
successes should encourage Nigeria to continue striving to attain
workforce equality.
But far from the only nation in Sub-Saharan Africa seeking to get a
handle on its gender gap in employment, Nigeria would also benefit
from exchanging its successes and experiences with other countries
nearby in the region. Just a stone’s throw from Nigeria’s capital,
Lagos, the Gambia has also been working hard to capitalize on its
female workforce. In an effort to help women shift from the
agricultural sector into more professional jobs, the government has
implemented measures since 1994 to enhance women’s societal status and
economic role – with these efforts running the gamut from providing
women with agricultural services and modern farming equipment to
professional training programs. These are precisely the kind of
reforms that governments across the region should do their utmost to
implement.
As a global powerhouse, Nigeria has the ability to alter how the
international community views gender equality in the workplace all
across Africa, while serving as an example for nearby countries as to
the benefits of inclusion. Should Nigeria embark on a more dedicated
program to advance women’s role in the economy and change societal
attitudes about which jobs women can and cannot hold, the country will
accelerate its already rapid pace of growth. Bound to become Africa’s
next 21st-century economic miracle, Nigeria has already demonstrated a
steadfast commitment to ensuring that its story of growth will be one
of empowerment and sensibility, deserving of emulation in Africa and
the world. Here’s to Nigeria continuing on its path to empowering
women and unveiling this remarkable jewel.
Editor’s Note: John Glassey is the managing director of the
AfricanBrains network, the host of prestigious biannual conferences
bringing together top regional leaders in ICT, innovation, and
education from all across the African continent. Please direct
questions, feedback, and commentary to Amsterdam Group Public
Relations Inc. at: info@amsterdamgroup.net.