Okpewuru Egbe
Principal Community
Development Officer
Federal Ministry of Women
Affairs and Social
Development, Nigeria
okpewuruegbe@yahoo.com

Nigeria lies between latitudes 4◦53 North and 13∘ 53
North and longitudes 2 ≩40 E and 14 ∘41 east
It is located in West Africa. It is bordered on the west
by the republic of Benin, on the North by the Republicof Nigeran on the east by the republic of Cameroun
and on the south by the Atlantic ocean.
The country occupies a land area of 923,768 square
kilometers
The 2006 population census put the population ofNigeria at 140 million(72 million men and 68 millionwomen)I am the Principal Women Development Officer in the Women
Organization Division of the Women Affairs Department. In
Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
My job description includes:
Assist in coordinating the activities of Non governmentalorganizations working on gender equality and women
empowerment
Assist in formulating policies and development of programmes topromote the political participation of women
Assist in developing programmes to empower women focusedorganizations
Represent the Ministry in some standing committees and activities tomainstream gender eg report writing of National Demographic
Health Survey ,the committee on energy workshop for women.

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National Gender Policy 2007;
Child Rights Act 2003
National Economic Empowerment Development
Strategy(NEEDS)
Millennium Development Goals;
National Education policy
National Health Policy;
National Poverty Eradication Programme(NAPEP)

Women Fund For Economic
Empowerment(WOFEE) Business Development Fund For Women;
 Re-activation of Women Development Centres.
 Socio cultural perceptions that encourage

inequalities between men and womenLack of sufficient resources to promote
gender mainstreaming
Low level of women empowerment as
expressed in the existence of such
indicators as high level of poverty ofwomen and low participation of womenin decision making

I have gained useful insight into the strategies
and methods used to promote the participationof women in other countries that could beapplied to my country.
I have also been inspired by the high performanceof Japan in the human development indicesachieved partially by the adoption ofappropriate policies.
.

 Similarly I have been inspired by theefforts of the people and government of
Kitakyushu in playing a lead role ingender mainstreaming and mobilizing
the capacities of women to effect change.
 In addition I aspire to emulate the abilityof the organizers of this seminar to giveadequate attention to detail in organizing
programmes.

i)Title: National Sensitization Campaign on women’s
participation in 2010/2011 general electionsii) Objective: To create awareness on the suitabilityof women as candidates for election into decision
making positions for the 2011 elections.

iii) Site: The Federal Ministry of Women
Affairs and Social Development, and the thirty
six states.

iv)Duration: one year March 2010 to March2011.
 v) Implementing body: Federal Ministry ofWomen Affairs and Social Development andthe Non Governmental Organizations partners
managing the zonal Women PoliticalEmpowerment offices and the state ministriesof Women Affairsvi) Target: Opinion leaders, Womenorganizations and the general public) Activities
 A)
Coordination
meetingwithstakeholders -women organizations,Women Political Empowerment offices
and State Ministries of Women Affairsb )Design anddevelopment of IECmaterialsc) State level advocacy with opinionleadersviiviii)
My role in the project would be toprovide the administrative coordination for theexecution of the project. My ministry will
provide the logistical support while the NGOs
managing the zonal offices for women politicalempowerment will implement.

Women and men are adequately informed
through accessible media that women havecapacity to perform well in decision making
positions.
 Political and Community leaders are ready tosupport women contesting for elections.
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