Ilorin, Kwara State – March 8, 2025 – As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) is calling for urgent, decisive action to tackle gender inequality and accelerate progress in securing the rights, safety, and empowerment of women and girls across Nigeria.
This year’s IWD theme, “Accelerate Action”, shows the need for bold, strategic interventions to address the systemic barriers that continue to hinder women’s full participation in governance, education, the economy, and society at large.
Beyond Rhetoric: Nigeria Must Prioritize Women’s Rights
While Nigeria has made commitments on paper, real progress remains painfully slow. Women make up 50% of the population, yet hold less than 10% of political positions and struggle against a system that still excludes, underpays, and underrepresents them. Even more alarming is the persistent rise in gender-based violence (GBV), economic discrimination, and sexual harassment in workplaces, schools, and public institutions—including recent allegations within the Nigerian Senate.
According to Nurah Jimoh-Sanni, Executive Director of BBYDI, this year’s International Women’s Day must not be another day of empty promises but a defining moment for real change.
“Nigeria cannot continue to pay lip service to gender equality while women remain marginalized in decision-making spaces and are subjected to daily violence and discrimination. The time for action is now. The government must move beyond symbolic gestures and make tangible policy shifts that protect and empower women nationwide.”
Key Areas Requiring Immediate National Action
1. Ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Harassment
BBYDI strongly condemns recent allegations of sexual harassment within the Nigerian Senate, emphasizing that no institution should be above accountability. This case highlights the urgent need for stronger laws, swift enforcement, and survivor-centered justice systems.
- The Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act (2015) has still not been adopted in all Nigerian states—leaving millions of women without legal protection.
- Sexual harassment in universities, workplaces, and political spaces remains rampant, with victims often silenced or blamed.
- BBYDI urges the Nigerian government to establish a nationwide GBV reporting and response mechanism that ensures swift investigations, survivor protection, and justice.
2. Women’s Economic Empowerment: From Exclusion to Inclusion
Despite their immense contributions to Nigeria’s informal and formal economy, women still face barriers to accessing finance, business support, and equal opportunities.
BBYDI calls for:
- Gender-responsive budgeting at all levels of government to ensure women entrepreneurs and business owners have equal access to funding and resources.
- Implementation of workplace protections to close Nigeria’s gender pay gap and combat economic discrimination against women.
- Expansion of vocational training programs to equip women—especially in rural areas—with the skills needed to thrive in an evolving job market.
3. Education: Keeping Girls in School and Closing the Digital Gender Gap
Nigeria has one of the highest rates of out-of-school girls in the world, with cultural, economic, and systemic barriers forcing millions of young girls out of education. BBYDI stresses the urgent need to protect girls’ education, particularly in the North, where child marriage and early pregnancies continue to strip girls of their futures.
- The Universal Basic Education Act must be fully enforced to ensure free, compulsory education for all girls.
- Government and private sector partnerships should expand digital learning programs to close the digital gender divide and increase women’s participation in STEM fields.
- Tougher penalties for child marriage and gender-based school expulsions must be enforced to protect girls’ right to education.
4. Women in Leadership: Raising the Bar for Political and Corporate Representation
Nigeria’s political system remains hostile to female leadership, despite decades of advocacy for gender inclusion. Women occupy fewer than 10% of political offices, far below the 30% recommended quota for gender parity.
BBYDI is demanding:
- Legislative reforms that introduce mandatory gender quotas in government positions.
- Investment in leadership mentorship programs to support young women entering politics, business, and civil service.
- Media accountability in ensuring fair representation of women in political and leadership discourse.
As a leading youth-driven organization, BBYDI is actively working to dismantle barriers and create safe, empowering spaces for women and girls. Through policy advocacy, community outreach, and economic empowerment programs, BBYDI is:
– Providing legal support and survivor-centered services for victims of GBV.
– Running digital and financial literacy programs to equip women with critical skills.
– Partnering with traditional and religious leaders to shift harmful gender norms.
– Advocating for stronger policies to protect women’s rights at state and national levels.
BBYDI calls on the Nigerian government, civil society organizations, and the private sector to move beyond rhetoric and accelerate concrete actions that guarantee gender justice, economic fairness, and safety for all Nigerian women and girls.
This International Women’s Day must be a turning point, not just another ceremonial observance.
Sanni Alausa-Issa
Communications Director
Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI)