NAWOJ Advocates Enhanced Safety in Schools, Inclusive Governance

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, has called on the Federal Government to ensure the school environment is safe for Nigerian children, in the face increasing insecurity in the country.

National President of NAWOJ, Comrade Ladi Bala, who made the call during a courtesy visit on the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, expressed deep concern over cases of abduction of school children by insurgents in parts of the country.

Comrade Bala, also expressed concern over the increasing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, saying that the National Secretariat of NAWOJ has drawn up programmes and activities around the key components of the Association’s mandate and solicited support towards their implementation.

While appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing women into key positions, the NAWOJ President asked for the appointment of more women into Boards of Commissions and Parastatals to meet up the 35 per cent benchmark of Affirmative Action.

She said NAWOJ was proud to associate itself with the numerous achievements that have been recorded by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development under the watch of Dame Pauline Tallen.

Responding, the Honourable Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, assured that her Ministry would partner the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists on key areas to create a healthier and better society for women and children.

Dame Tallen highlighted the key areas of collaboration as the girl-child education, gender based violence, and women participation in politics, noting that her Ministry’s mandates and that of NAWOJ are similar.

While encouraging women groups in the country to speak out against the rising cases gender based violence and other bills perpetrated against women and girls in the country, the Minister said, the public and young boys must be educated as ambassadors to protect the girl-child, to protect women from the evil ones within our society that are abusing innocent souls.

Funmi Adekoya