National Gender Policy 2021-2026

SECTION 1: CONTEXT AND RATIONALE......................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Legal and Policy Environment ............................................................................................................ 2 1.2.1. Key Learning Points from the International and Regional Legal & Policy Environment ............. 2 1.2.2. Nigeria Legal and Policy Environment ........................................................................................ 4 1.2.3. Rationale for reviewing the National Gender Policy................................................................... 4 1.3. The National Gender Policy Development Process ........................................................................... 5

SECTION 2: POLICY FRAMEWORK, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, GOAL AND OBJECTIVES ...................................... 6 2.1. Conceptual Framework ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.2. Guiding Principles and Core Values ................................................................................................... 8 2.3. Policy Goal.......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.4. Policy Strategic Objectives ................................................................................................................. 9

SECTION 3: POLICY PRIORITIES, OBJECTIVES, TARGETS & STRATEGIC ACTIONS ........................................ 10 3.0: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 10 3.1. LEGISLATION AND POLICY REFORMS ............................................................................................... 10 3.2. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, PRODUCTIVITY, AND LIVELIHOODS ................................................. 11 3.3. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................. 19 3.4. GEESI in other selected Key Institutions in the Social Sector .......................................................... 30 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY 3.4.1. Water and Sanitation ................................................................................................................ 30 3.4.2. Housing ..................................................................................................................................... 31 3.4.3. Gender, Environment and Climate Change .............................................................................. 32 3.4.4. Media ........................................................................................................................................ 33 3.5. GEESI in the Security Sector ............................................................................................................. 35 3. 5. 1. GEESI in the Security Institutions ............................................................................................ 35 3.5.2. Counter - Insurgency, Conflict and Peace Keeping ................................................................... 36 3.5.3. Management of Complex Humanitarian Emergencies ............................................................. 37 3.6. GEESI in Access to Justice, Human Rights and Governance............................................................. 39 3.6.1. A Gender Responsive Nigerian Justice System ......................................................................... 39 3.6.2. Human and Women’s Rights..................................................................................................... 40 3.6.3. Accountability, Transparency and Openness in Governance for a Gender .............................. 42 Responsive Development ................................................................................................................... 42 3.7. GEESI, Leadership and Political Participation .................................................................................. 43 3.7.1. GEESI and the Nigerian Political System and Structures........................................................... 43 3.7.2. GEESI and the Electoral System ................................................................................................ 45 3.7.3. GEESI and Community Level Leadership................................................................................... 46 3.8. GEESI, Gender Norms and Socio-cultural Practices ......................................................................... 47 3.8.1. The ‘Girl Child’ ........................................................................................................................... 47 3.8.2. The ‘Boy Child’ .......................................................................................................................... 49 3.8.3. Harmful Traditional Practices ................................................................................................... 50 3.8.4. Sexual/Gender-Based Violence ................................................................................................. 51 3.8.5. Men in the GEESI Agenda ......................................................................................................... 52 3.8.6. Transforming Local Level Governance ...................................................................................... 53

SECTION 4: INSTITUTIONAL AND IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORKS & DELIVERY STRATEGIES FOR THE POLICY ......................................................................................................................................................... 55 4.0. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 55 4.1. Institutional Framework for the Policy ............................................................................................ 55 4.1.1. The National Gender Machinery ............................................................................................... 55 4.1.2. Structure, Roles and Responsibilities of Gender Machinery .................................................... 55 4.2. Implementation Framework ............................................................................................................ 58 4.2.1. Adoption of a National Gender Management System Model .................................................. 58 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY 4.2.2. Gender Mainstreaming as a Core Implementation Strategy .................................................... 59 4.2.3. A Need for an Effective Coordination Framework for the Gender Mainstreaming Model: ..... 60 4.2.4. The Coordination Role of the Ministry of Women Affairs in the Engendering......................... 61 Process: ............................................................................................................................................... 61 4.3. Policy Delivery Strategies ................................................................................................................. 64 4.3.1. Policy Compliance Criteria/Strategies:...................................................................................... 64 4.3.2. Operational Strategies for Achieving Planned Outcomes ........................................................ 69

SECTION 5: CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................................... 75 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................ 77 ANNEXURE .................................................................................................................................................. 81 APPENDIX: GLOSSARY OF TERMS................................................................................................................ 83 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Key Elements in the GEESI Perspective…………………………………………...6 Figure 2.2: Gender Policy Conceptual Framework…………………………………………….7 Figure 4.1: The Gender Management System (GMS)………………………………………...57 Figure 4.2: Implementation Logic Model…………………………………………………….59 Figure 4.3: Federal Level Gender Machinery………………………………………………...61 Figure 4.4: State Level Gender Machinery…………………………………………………...62 Figure 4.5: Local Government Level Gender Machinery…………………………………….62 Figure 4.6: System-Wide Approach to GEESI……………………………..….…………….63 Figure 4.7: The National Gender Policy Key Compliance Criteria & Operational Strategies…………………………………………………………………………..…………69 LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1: The Elements of the National Gender Management System………………………58 Table 4.2: Criteria for the Policy M&E Mechanisms…………………………………………68 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY PRESIDENTIAL CHARGE A lot has happened twenty-six years after the Beijing Plan of Action, with the Nigeria Government standing up for its women. Discrimination against women and girls both in public institutions and in the private sphere continues to catch our attention. Women and men, girls and boys, and the socially excluded should be fully represented in governance and in every sphere of endeavour to enable them to actualise their potentials. As we continue to push the boundaries of inclusive governance and open up spaces for women and the vulnerable groups, I commit to ensuring that the provisions of this National Gender Policy are embraced by government across sectors and at all levels to provide the much-needed social reforms that will guarantee our social contract. Only then, would we be fulfilling our promises of change to every Nigerian. Recognizing that we cannot have an enduring change without gender parity and social inclusivity, the promotion and protection of the wellbeing of our population, and those at the periphery of economic development, is key to sustainable development. I hereby endorse and charge all actors to adopt the revised National Gender Policy (2021 - 2026) as a framework for achieving national growth and socio-economic development in both private and public sectors. Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) President and Commander – in – Chief of the Armed Forces Federal Republic of Nigeria September, 2021 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY FOREWORD Achieving gender equality, empowerment of women, and social inclusivity requires redressing inequalities between women and men; girls and boys; and ensuring equal rights, responsibilities, opportunities, and possibilities for all. Gender equality implies that women’s/girls’ needs, interests, concerns, experiences, and priorities as well as those of men/boys and the socially excluded are an integral dimension of policy/programme design, implementation, monitoring, and follow-up, and evaluation at all levels. While recognising that Government has the primary responsibility to develop and implement policies to promote gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusivity, partnerships between government and the different social players in the civil society are increasingly recognised as an important mechanism to achieve gender equality/social inclusivity policy goal. The review of the National Gender Policy 2006 becomes necessary due to the following: i. Despite women constituting about half of the population and accounting for 60% of the voting population in Nigeria (UN Women, 2019), glaring gender gaps continue to confront them in terms of representation in decision making, accessing and controlling resources and socio-economic opportunities; ii. The declining economic performance, poverty, erosion of cultural values, and the fallouts from the global financial crisis have resulted in increased vulnerabilities for the poor, marginalised, widows, persons living with disabilities, and orphans, especially women and girls; iii. The need to adhere to predetermined periodic review processes as an inbuilt mechanism in tracking policy and performance implementation plan, to measure progress, learn lessons, and embrace emerging issues; iv. Baseline indicators and performance parameters that revealed widening gender gaps in Nigeria as compared to other countries, thus providing a timely opportunity to call attention to salient issues; and v. Emerging Gender issues, including experiences of women, girls, and other vulnerable groups under current counter-insurgency, conflict, and complex humanitarian emergencies in the country; and in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals which requires policy objectives geared at meeting new globally agreed standards, among others. The policy review exercise recognises that Nigerian women face barriers to full equality, empowerment, and advancement because of patriarchy, socialization patterns, disability, socio- economic status including their living conditions - rural/urban; refugee/internal displacement due to environmental disasters and various forms of violence (insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry), and epidemics. However, considering the gains of the 2006 National Gender Policy implementation to the nation, and indeed the transforming effects of gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion principles on economic growth and development, the Government of Nigeria continues NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY to reiterate its commitment to building a nation devoid of gender discrimination, guaranteeing equal access to political, social and economic opportunities for women and men; and developing a culture that places premium on the protection of all persons including children and other vulnerable groups. In furtherance of this goal, the government of Nigeria continues to commit resources (human and material) to the promotion of the full participation of women, men, girls, and boys in public life, and as agents of development. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMWA) by its mandates strives to bring about speedy and healthy development of Nigerian women and men by formulating frameworks for engendering national development processes, thereby ensuring the survival, protection, development, and participation of all and sundry, especially those traditionally at the edge of national development agenda. The primary target group includes women, children, the elderly, the physically challenged, and all others needing social protection from the vagaries of social injustice and discrimination. The policy review corroborated the emphasis that strong national machinery for the advancement of women and the promotion of gender equality requires political commitment at the highest level, and availability of all necessary human and financial resources to initiate, recommend and facilitate the development, adoption, and monitoring of policies, legislation, programmes and capacity building for the empowerment of women and to act as a catalyst for open public dialogue on gender equality as a societal goal. Succinctly, the new revised policy is apt to address the systemic nature of gender mainstreaming and the need for both traditional and non- traditional gender sectors to embrace gender transformation and the changes which accompany this. The revised National Gender Policy is aligned with relevant regional and international protocols and instruments such as the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), AU Solemn Declaration for Gender Equality, African Protocol on People’s Rights, and the Rights of Women (APPRRW), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), International Conference on Population Development Plan of Action (ICPD PoA), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and importantly, the Nigerian Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017 - 2020), which is to be replaced by a new 10-year Economic Plan. The Policy seeks to equip stakeholders with strategic skills for engineering the levels of social change required for achieving the desired empowerment of women, girls, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups in our society. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs1, as a national vehicle with mandates to entrench gender equality principles and human-centred development, seeks the creation of Gender Cadre in the system to facilitate professionalization and institutionalisation of gender equality; women empowerment; and gender mainstreaming as an administrative/development tool. No doubt, the 2006 National Gender Policy has helped in many ways. It has specifically assisted in drawing public attention to the rights of women and girls, and other vulnerable groups in 1 Consideration may be given to renaming the Ministry as the Ministry of Women and Gender Affairs; or Ministry of Women, Gender and Development. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY society. The marginal implementation of the provisions of the policy despite the declared commitment of the government demands a wake-up call for more action from all stakeholders. For effective implementation of this policy, a National Gender Strategic Framework/Plan (NGSF/P) is developed alongside. The NGSF/P outlines explicit implementation, monitoring, and evaluation guidelines for achieving measurable targets and enhancing accountability to gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion mandates. At the heart of its implementation is a capable, responsive, and accountable state and a vigilant civil society. Dame Pauline K. Tallen, OFR, KSG Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja. September, 2021 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The review of the 2006 National Gender Policy is long overdue. This review should have been done in 2011, but a number of exigencies did not allow this to happen until October 2020, when the process for this review started. The production of the policy involved 3 Phases. Phase 1 – A Situation Analysis Review and Report writing, Phase 2 – Development of the Revised National Gender Policy using the key findings from the Situation Analysis Report to refocus policy priorities and action and Phase 3 – the Development of the National Strategic Implementation Framework for the policy. Hence, apart from the main Policy Document, there are also two complementary reports; that is, the 2021 Situation Analysis Report; and the 2021 Implementation Framework for the National Gender Policy. The Situation Analysis, which was the first phase of the policy review process, involved the review of national and international documents on women and gender issues; existing state/sectoral gender policies; key indicators, and secondary data sources across the sectors and zonal workshops across the six (6) geo-political zones. Consultants and technical assistants held discussions with stakeholders at Federal, State, Local Government levels; and also with Nigerian scholars in the diaspora, and the private sector actors. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were held with CSO representatives across the zones; in-depth interviews with development partners and with employers of labour in the private sector institutions. Series of public dialogues were also held with community members – men, women, boys, and girls. These were done to ensure that emerging issues were well captured, and also to ensure comprehensive and widespread ownership of the policy document. Thus, all three phases of the process witnessed the conduct of Validation and Finalisation Workshops to ensure the adoption of the respective outcomes by stakeholders at the various levels – national, state, and community levels. Following the activities enumerated herein, individuals, groups, institutions, and governments contributed immensely to the success of this policy review process. First, we will like to put on record the overwhelming support of President Mohammadu Buhari’s Administration, for putting the women’s issues at the centre of his government’s economic recovery and growth plan agenda, and hoping for more visibility for women in this government. Nigerian women expect a greater commitment to the 50:50 parity for women to benefit more in public life. The Honourable Minister for Women Affairs, HE: Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG; who is a gender advocate, and pride to womanhood, fitted perfectly to the gender transformative agenda, while her invaluable contributions to the success of this policy review remain notable. The success of this review is largely due to the support received from the Minister, and the office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. The revision of the National Gender Policy started under the leadership of Mrs. Ifeoma Nkiru Anagbogu, Dr. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, Ambassador Anthonia Ekpa -PhD, and was completed under the able leadership of Engr. Adebiyi O. Olufunso, FNSE. Various key officers of government at the various levels (Federal/State/LGA) contributed immensely to the outcome of this review. We also acknowledge the support given by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Gender Matters to this process. In terms of access to NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY important documentation and attendance at the various planning and validation meetings, the Gender Focal Points across the Line Ministries, including the SDG Gender Desk, availed time for interviews and also gave supporting documentation for the situation analysis review which culminated in the development of the new policy. The policy review process equally enjoyed the support of other partners in and out of government including – the Media Houses, especially the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), various civil society coalitions at national and state levels, representatives of professional organisations both at the formal and informal level, private sector organisations – all demonstrated immense support by being part of the planning and the validation meetings; and for availing themselves for group discussions and individual interviews conducted for data gathering. Academia within and in the diaspora played a major role in their contributions to various webinar discussions on a variety of issues which helped to focus the policy priorities. The policy review process enjoyed technical support from a number of development partners through the Development Partners Group on Gender (DPGG), with Leadership from UN-Women and ActionAid Nigeria and membership from the various multi-lateral and bi-lateral organisations, and international NGOs, who granted interviews and provided documents for the situation analysis review. The participation of stakeholders (including state and non-state actors) at the various planning and validation meetings is gratefully acknowledged. The technical and financial support from the African Development Bank (AFDB) in support of this review process is very much appreciated. The AFDB Task Manager: Dr. Greg Osubor, facilitated the smooth support enjoyed from AFDB with his ready hands of help and support. The Department of Gender Affairs, with support from other Departments of the Ministry supported the technical group and ensured the successful completion of this assignment. It is important to mention supports received from both past and present officers of the Ministry, including the Former Directors of Women and Gender Affairs, Mrs. Anetu-Anne O. Aliu, Director, Gender Affairs, Mrs. Friya Kimde Bulus, and Deputy Director, Women Affairs, Mrs Funke Oladipo. The Permanent Secretary, Amb. Anthonia Ekpa - PhD, saw this process through with due diligence. The Project Officer/M&E: Mr. Edo Ekata and his team supported the technical team at every stage of the review process. Finally, the policy review was facilitated by a team of Experts led by Prof Olabisi I. Aina, supported by – Dr. Amina Salihu, Prof Kehinde Olayode, Ms Atinuke Odukoya, Mr. Tony Odey, Dr. Osas Ebenezer, and post-humous, Mrs Banke Akinrinmisi and Prof Ali Garba (may their beautiful souls rest in perfect peace), and other field assistants across the Nigeria 6 geo-political zones. Engr. Adebiyi Olusesan Olufunso FNSE, Permanent Secretary. Federal Ministry of Women Affairs Abuja. September, 2021 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY PREFACE The National Gender Policy was developed in 2006 to provide strategic policy guidance for mainstreaming gender at all levels as well as address the inequalities that exist in the socio- economic sphere. In tandem with emerging global trends, particularly as the global development agenda translated from the Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals, a review of the National Gender Policy became expedient to address current challenges. Since its inception, the policy statement and its directives have been bolstered through various regional and international agreements, to which Nigeria is a party; aimed towards gender justice, gender equality, women’s empowerment, and social inclusion. The ERGP - the Nigeria Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and its recent review - the new Nigeria’s National Economic Plan makes a national commitment to re-dressing long-term systemic discrimination against women, identifying and overcoming the limitations to the empowerment of women and men, and social inclusion issues; and ultimately creating a society that values gender balance and equity for ALL. Based on the most recent and available gender-disaggregated data, there are indications of significant inequalities experienced by women and men in Nigeria. However, there is also a significant deficiency in the availability of sex-disaggregated data across all sectors and at all levels. The implementation of the National Gender Policy is therefore crucial to the attainment of Nigeria’s development goals, medium and long-term strategic targets, and maintenance of regional and international commitments towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. The policy rationale and purpose seek to propel the historical and political movement for gender equality by providing a policy framework with professional analysis, implementation, and monitoring. The policy presents a rights-based approach to achieving gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion; and promotes programmes that must be developed against an understanding of international commitments, and constitutional agreements. Gender equality requires equal enjoyment by women and men of all the socially valued goods, opportunities, resources, and rewards afforded by one's citizenship. Gender equity strives for the equalization of the life chances of women and men, and those naturally excluded from the development mainstream. The National Gender Policy aims to institute a paradigm shift in national policy-making and implementation from a gender-sensitive position that presumes gender equality and equity, to a gender-aware position which acknowledges that barriers exist which prevent equal access and thus creates inequality. The National Gender Policy is informed by the guiding principles of social justice; human rights; equality and equity; good governance, accountability, transparency, and participation. In order to achieve gender equality, the following strategies and tools must be deployed: gender mainstreaming; gender-responsive budgeting; gender-aware information; gender analysis; cross- NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY sectoral partnering/collaborations; gender training; gender-aware monitoring and evaluation, and the legislation of temporary special measures (gender-responsive affirmative actions). All public and private stakeholders are responsible for employing gender mainstreaming strategies with the guidance and support of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. The National Gender Policy will be monitored and evaluated by a multi-sectoral council. Currently, several MDAs are actively implementing some aspects of gender mainstreaming in their policies, plans, and programmes either through their own budgets or with the support of international development partners. The policy framework suggests that women and men need to have equal opportunities to work together in partnership to achieve gender equality. This translates into gains not only for women but also for men and, necessarily, society as a whole. The cornerstone of Nigeria’s development is her people; therefore, eliminating barriers to equal participation in all levels of society for women and men will translate into meaningful and sustainable human and national development. Mrs. Friya Kimde Bulus Director, Gender Affairs Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Abuja. September, 2021 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Promoting change and development from a gender perspective has been recognized as an issue of human rights, social justice, and development. The adoption and implementation of the 2006 National Gender Policy across sectors and institutions was geared towards addressing gender injustice and gender inequalities within the Nigerian institutions and systems. Notably, the 2021 Situation Analysis Report documented progress made in achieving the goals of the 2006 National Gender Policy, and impediments confronting the full implementation of the policy priorities and actions. Important inhibiting factors confronting the goals of the 2006 NGP include: low technical capacity for coordination and gender mainstreaming; limited accountability for joint actions in policy implementation and funding to domesticate the policy by state and non-state actors; the tendency to treat the policy solely as a ‘woman’s issue’ and persisting socio-cultural barriers against discourse on gender equality issues. Revising the 2006 National Gender Policy is an integral part of the evaluation and sustainability mechanism built into the policy’s implementation plan. The aim was to enable practitioners to take stock and learn lessons from the past with a view to accommodate new sets of emerging gender issues, which demand urgent attention and ensure steady progress in the quest for gender and social justice. It also aids continuous engagement with the policy as a means of ensuring that Nigeria has a living policy. The overall objective of the gender equality goal is a society in which women and men; girls and boys; and other vulnerable groups enjoy the same opportunities, rights, and obligations in all spheres of life. Thus, like the 2006 NGP, the goal of 2021 is - “to build a just society devoid of discrimination, where the needs and concerns of women, men, girls, boys, and other vulnerable groups are mainstreamed equitably into all sectors of national development” Thus, the revised policy is premised on the following key principles: i. That the promotion and protection of women’s rights as human rights, provision of social buffers and safety nets, social justice, and equity are critical to national cohesion, growth, and stability; ii. That the peculiarity of the needs of women and girls, as distinct from men and boys, are demonstrably not homogeneous, originate from varying circumstances and therefore demand distinct policy responses at sector and sub-sector levels; iii. That the gender policy is central to the achievement of overall national development goals, objectives, and targets on many fronts and from both the macro to the micro economic levels as gender equality is a driver of growth and good governance; iv. That the cooperative interaction of all stakeholders including government, private sector, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, community-based organisations and development partners at all levels is required to drive effective implementation of the policy; v. That implementation shall build on existing structures and draw on international policy frameworks, protocols, experiences and practices including affirmative action NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY interventions targeting women and girls, recognizing them as corrective measure to bridge gaps in opportunities and access to resources; and vi. That gender analysis is seen as an integral part and essential component of all policy articulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation Conceptual Framework No doubt, promoting gender equality continues to be globally accepted as a development strategy for reducing poverty levels among women and men, improving health and living standards, and enhancing the efficiency of public investments. The attainment of gender equality is not only seen as an end in itself and a human rights issue but as a prerequisite for the achievement of sustainable development. Importantly, three (3) key elements, contained in the GEESI Framework (Gender Equality, Empowerment of Women, and Social Inclusion) drive this policy. The National Gender Policy is anchored within the framework of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which guarantees equality and right to freedom from discrimination; and the various global, regional, and national policy commitments to gender equality and human rights (including CEDAW; the Beijing Platform of Action; the SDGs; the African Charter and its Protocols for Gender Equality amongst others). It provides institutional guidelines for achieving a just and gender-equitable society, with women and men contributing optimally to and benefitting from national development across all sectors. The policy is anchored on a conceptual framework that revolves around four (4) mutually reinforcing pillars namely: i. Policy and Legislation ii. Systems and Structures iii. Processes, Procedures and Mechanisms and iv. Services, Goods, and Products A central point of view is the interaction and mutually reinforcing influence that each pillar has on the other. The Gender Policy affirms the importance of gender equality, not only as a fundamental human right but also as essential to poverty reduction and improved living standards, sustainable economic growth, and effective and accountable governance. Gender equality is crucial for socio-economic development as well as the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, including the principle of ‘leave no one behind’, and the African Agenda 2030, ‘the Africa we want’, with a central point of view on gender equality, and empowerment of the African woman in the new economic age. The performance will be evidenced in the kind, relevance, and effectiveness of the outputs in meeting gender needs and concerns, degree of gender sensitivity of policy intervention, and how they contribute to the elimination of gender disparities; promotion and protection of women’s rights, and how they effectively guarantee equal access to productive resources. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Specific policy priority areas that the revised national policy addresses are: i. Legislation and policy frameworks; ii. Economic Empowerment, Productivity, and Livelihoods  Gender, Agriculture & Rural Development  Gender and Employment (Labour Participation)  Gender and the Business Sector (Informal & Formal Sectors)  Sports & Entertainment Industry  Unpaid Care Work & the Household Economy iii. Human Development  Health, Survival and Nutrition  Maternal & Child Health/Child Development  Gender and the Health Systems  Education Attainment, Vocational & Life Skills  Social Protection  Gender and Disability iv. GEESI in other Key Institutions in the Social Sector  Water & Sanitation  Housing  Gender, Environment and Climate Change  The Media v. GEESI in the Security Sector  GEESI in the Security Institutions  Counter-Insurgency, Conflict and Peace Keeping  Management of Complex Humanitarian Emergencies vi. GEESI in Access to Justice, Human Rights & Governance  The Nigerian Justice System  Human and Women’s Rights  Accountability, Transparency & openness in Governance vii. GEESI, Leadership and Political Participation  GEESI & the Nigerian Political System & Structures  GEESI and the Electoral System  GEESI and Community Level Leadership viii. GEESI, Gender Norms and Socio-cultural Practices  The ‘Girl Child’  The ‘Boy Child’  Harmful Traditional Practices Against Women and Girls  Sexual /Gender-Based Violence  Transforming Local Level Governance NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Institutionalising gender equality means transforming the social processes and structures, which breed gender inequalities and social injustice. Hence, the framework for institutionalising gender equality policies and frameworks should bear in mind both macro and micro-level institutional engagements. Thus, the policy remains the responsibility of a system and the individual players. While the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs midwifes the implementation of the policy, it is expected that the policy will be domesticated both at state and institutional levels, including the private sector organisations. The policy thereby clearly delineates the structure, roles, and responsibilities of the players within the Gender Machinery. A holistic multi-sectoral approach is proposed for the implementation of the policy, with each institution establishing a very strong ‘Gender Management System’ for policy efficiency and effectiveness. An anticipated major challenge to achieving the policy objectives is moving from the policy prescriptions to the actualisation of the policy goal and targets. For the conceptual framework to be functional, greater synergy is required among stakeholders. Furthermore, overarching institutional restructuring and increased professionalism are required in order to meet the demands of the revised policy document. The efficacy of the policy strategies is contingent on a functional gender management system while the following elements and actions are indispensable:  Political Will  Gender as a Core Value for Transforming the Nigerian Society  Confronting Patriarchy  Technical capacity  Coordination, Networking, and Monitoring  Resource Mobilization Overall, the policy delivery strategies are categorized along two levels, viz - a. Six (6) compliance criteria, which are: i. Political will ii. Policy reforms, linkages, and programmes iii. Evidence-based Planning  Sex/gender-disaggregated data & Analysis;  Gender Research  Gender Education iv. Capacity building and Gender Architecture v. Accountability and Performance Targeting vi. Tracking, Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting b. Operational Strategies for achieving planned outcomes are identified as: i. Mobilisation of resources ii. Advocacy iii. Information, Communication & Value re-orientation iv. Knowledge Management v. Peer Review vi. Partnership & Networking In conclusion, the mandates for ‘gender equality’; ‘women empowerment’ and social inclusion remain the three pillars of the 2021 National Gender Policy. The goal of the policy can only be NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY effectively achieved through supportive institutional reforms, and when state and non-state actors embrace, and fulfil the goal of the po INCOMPLETE PAGE. CONSULT WITH THE CONSULTANT NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY SECTION ONE SECTION 1: CONTEXT AND RATIONALE 1.1. Introduction The National Gender Policy (NGP) represents a set of minimum standards expected of the Nigerian Government to meet its mandate for gender equality, good governance, accountability, and being socially responsive to the needs of its vulnerable groups. Equity remains the foundation of the core principle of Agenda 2030 - ‘leave no one behind’. By implication, achieving this core principle demands that ‘gendered power relations’ which serve as triggers of social, political, cultural, and economic exclusion are dealt with, while the benefits of sustainable development are extended to groups that are routinely and structurally excluded, that is, women, girls, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the poor among others. The policy (NGP) is also in consonant with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the supreme law of the land, which includes specific provisions protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. Notably, progress and development in human societies require the participation of both men and women. However, it is a truism that women have been historically marginalised in all spheres of life including social, economic, and political spheres. This anomaly has been recognised globally and it has become accepted that issues of women’s human rights are important for any meaningful development to take place. Apart from social justice, which demands equal opportunity for all citizens, it is smart economics to plan with both halves of one’s population because it benefits society as a whole. Investing in women and girls does not only create a positive development cycle, the opposite is also adjudged to be true, that is, a country that fails to empower half of its population will suffer from lower productivity, slower economic growth, and weaker development outcomes. Women make up about 50% of Nigeria’s population (UN Women, 2019). Considering both the intrinsic and extrinsic values of gender equality, women and girls are now seen as very central to Nigeria’s transformative agenda, without which it will be difficult to achieve any sustainable development and growth. Families are healthier, safer, and better nourished when the women raising them are more knowledgeable and capable of meeting their needs. Development standpoints on women’s need and welfare are also helping to refocus attention on the situation of girls across nations. If resources reach women and girls early, transformative change can happen quickly, while poverty can be stopped before it starts. The invincibility of this standpoint was aptly noted in the UNDP perspective on the gender debate, that ‘a development that is not engendered is endangered’ (Human Development Report, 1995). Simply, to achieve sustainable development, countries must plan with their men and women, and focus on their unique needs and preferences. The recent experience with the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria exposed the structural inequalities that systematically disadvantage women and girls. COVID-19 causes an increase in women’s workloads, caring for children as schools closed, and taking care of family health. Additionally, there is a risk of increased family violence in a region where pre- existing rates of violence against women are already very high. While all vulnerable populations experience COVID-19 outbreaks and impacts differently, issues such as access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), disrupted livelihoods and caused an increase in family violence, while its health impact affects women disproportionately. COVID-19 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY recovery measures are also imparted by gender norms and other structural inequalities which affect equal access to economic and financial resources. This policy presents a frame that sees men and boys as strategic agents of change, and as potential allies in achieving gender justice in Nigeria. The Gender and Development (GAD) framework adopted by the policy focuses on the relational nature of gendered power, and the interdependency of women and men, and with a strategic goal of transforming the unequal gender relations which perpetuate women’s subordinate position in our society. Strict adherence to traditional masculine roles is also identified as impacting negatively on men and boys and may also heighten their vulnerabilities as they (men/boys) struggle to meet sometimes unattainable standards created for them in their traditional masculine roles. 1.2. Legal and Policy Environment 1.2.1. Key Learning Points from the International and Regional Legal & Policy Environment Awareness of the need to promote gender equality and social inclusion as a human rights issue has grown tremendously worldwide, especially since the International Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Most countries have since then put in place structures that promote the rights of women, gender equality, and inclusivity in policy and planning for development. The impetus for the development of National Gender Policies has been provided by international, regional, and national legal and policy environments. The vision for a new global order that guarantees all individuals basic human rights and protection from all forms of discrimination is at the heart of various international instruments (treaties, declarations, and conventions) signed by the UN member-states, including Nigeria. Such legal instruments include: ● The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948 entrenched the guiding principles of the secular state and human rights culture globally, whereby almost all the countries of the world affirmed their commitment to a basic common standard of human rights; ● The 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), both of which included a clause that guarantees the rights to non-discrimination between men and women. Others are the Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952); the Convention on the Nationality of Married Women (1957); and the Convention on the Consent to Marriage (1962). ● The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, which is often described as the ‘international bill of rights of women’. It codified women’s rights to equality in all spheres of life as a global norm. ● The Beijing Conference of 1995 provided a unique opportunity for women to become a critical part of the decision-making process in matters relating to economic, political, and social advancement the world over. The Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) touched on 12 critical areas of women’s concerns across wellbeing, decision making, advancement, and safe spaces. ● The adoption of the Millennium Development Goals (2000) as a global strategy for poverty reduction further heightened the need to focus on the improvement of the status of women, while at its expiration in 2015, a new set of Sustainable NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Development Goals (SDGs) was adopted by the United Nations further propelled a global vision for the achievement of gender equality and empowerment of girls as a central point to all the 17 SDGs, and to be inculcated into various fields of human endeavour. At the regional level, Africa has responded to the global waves of rights and development. In 1981, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights was adopted as a major continental instrument in the field of human rights protection in Africa. In addition, Nigeria ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) on 16 December 2004. As expressed in the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), which was adopted in 1981 and became operational on October 21, 1986, member states established bodies to protect and promote human and people’s rights. The most important obligation for each country is to adopt legislative or other measures to protect the dignity of Africa and its people. The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) adopted in July 2001 was equally designed to address the current challenges facing the African continent. It addresses issues such as escalating poverty levels, underdevelopment, and the continued marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation processes, which were of serious concern to Africa leaders. Importantly, NEPAD has the acceleration of women empowerment as one of its strategic objectives, as it anchors the development of Africa on its resources and the resourcefulness of its people, and ensuring that all partnerships with NEPAD are linked to all internationally agreed development targets and the gender equality and social inclusion agenda The adoption of the AU Gender Policy in 2009 and its implementation plan has been inspired by the overwhelming political will and commitment demonstrated by the African Union’s Heads of States and Government who in the last few years have adopted important decisions. At the sub-regional level, the ECOWAS Gender Policy development process was initiated in 2000 and the gender policy document was finalised in 2003 with the establishment of a Gender Technical Commission, a Gender Division within the Executive Secretariat, and the transformation of ECOWAS Gender Development Centre, which provides the necessary structures and frameworks for gender mainstreaming and a Strategic Plan framework and guidelines on the structures and mechanisms of the Gender Management Systems (GMS) for ECOWAS. The result of these processes has placed ECOWAS on solid footing for the effective mainstreaming of gender issues in the sub-region. A number of African countries (in particular, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, and Tunisia) have recorded remarkable achievements in their bid to promote gender equality and empowerment of women through legal rights and constitutional reviews. The judiciary and legal practitioners in such countries are reportedly very creative in interpreting laws, driven by knowledge and understanding of gender equality issues and other related human rights principles. Other enabling factors in these countries are access to resources, for example, the use of gender-responsive budgeting to achieve a gender mainstreaming strategy for the promotion of gender equality, women empowerment, and inclusive planning for development. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY 1.2.2. Nigeria Legal and Policy Environment The normative framework for the promotion and protection of gender equality and women’s rights in Nigeria are Constitutional, Legislative, Judicial, Policy and International human rights, and Humanitarian Law Treaties. Nigeria has ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (29-10-93); International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (29-10-93); Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (13-7-85); Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (28-7-01) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (19-4-9). However, Nigeria continues to perform very poorly gauging by the synthesis of performances across the four dimensions of the Gender Gap Index adopted globally. In the Economic Participation and Opportunity sub-index, Nigeria ranked 38 position (among 153 countries benchmarked) and with a score of 0.738 Gender Gap Index (World Economic Forum, 2021). For Health and Survival sub-index, Nigeria ranked 135 position with a GGI of 0.964 (World Economic Forum, 2021). For the Education Attainment sub-index, Nigeria ranked 145 position with a GGI of 0.806 (World Economic Forum, 2021). Notably, Nigeria ranked 146 position in the Political Participation sub-index, with a GGI score of 0.032 (World Economic Forum, 2021). Overall, Nigeria ranked 145 in 2013, moving to 128 position in 2020, in the Global Gender Gap Index (World Data Atlas, 2021), thereby falling much behind such African countries like Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe among others. Nigeria needs to learn from other countries, in particular, African countries that have engaged in gender transformative changes within the context of their respective local cultures. The combination of federation and a tripartite system of civil, customary, and religious law makes it difficult to harmonise legislation and remove discriminatory measures. However, any law, which is contradictory to Federal Law, or the Constitution can be challenged in a Federal Court. With a legal system with varying legal standards, the Nigeria Constitution provides the ultimate principles, rules, and doctrines from which the legitimacy and hierarchy of all other legal norms in the country are validated. 1.2.3. Rationale for reviewing the National Gender Policy Gains from the development and the review of the 2000 National Women Policy gave compelling reasons for a National Gender Policy (NGP) in 2006, which in turn demand the review of the 2006 NGP to bring it in line with global and local realities, and emerging issues since 2006. In view of current events and emerging issues across sectors, it is important to up-date and review the existing NGP so as to respond to emerging issues across sectors, and current gender gaps to be filled for Nigeria to meet its commitment to such global agenda as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unlike the 2006 gender policy which was conceptualised on institutional engagement, this revised policy places practical and strategic gender needs at the heart of both the policy and the nation’s common objective of achieving social inclusion and promoting shared values regardless of ethnicity, sex, or other differences. Alongside equity and empowerment, these have become the vanguards of national life and pro-poor development aspirations. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY 1.3. The National Gender Policy Development Process A rigorous situation analysis exercise across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones was conducted to review the 2006-NGP. This process included conversations with diverse stakeholders, reviews of the institutional response to the policy; legal and policy reforms brought about by the policy; changes in internal practices and operations; attitudinal changes, lessons learnt, good practice, and implementation gaps among others. Also documented is the effectiveness of the Strategic Implementation Plans of the Policy; its accountability mechanisms/M&E structure, and how the policy has been used across sectors, in particular, to defend the rights of women, children, and the vulnerable groups in the society. More importantly, the situation analysis exercise helps to set new priorities and strategies for the revised NGP and its Strategic Implementation Framework (see a separate report on the 2006-NGP Situation Analysis study). In addition, important cross-cutting issues were analysed, including changing socio-cultural contexts within local communities (e.g., changing cultural values and new experiences with gender-based violence etc.), conflict, poor infrastructures, disabilities, and a focus on other vulnerable social categories such as the youths, the girl child, and the boy child. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY

SECTION 2: POLICY FRAMEWORK, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, SECTION TWO GOAL AND OBJECTIVES 2.1. Conceptual Framework The revised National Gender Policy uses a gender-transformative perspective rooted in the ‘Gender and Development’ (GAD) framework which criticised how (global) capitalism, patriarchy, and other forms of institutional structures of social oppression continue to keep women/girls and other vulnerable groups in marginalised and subordinate positions. Against this background, three key elements, referred to here as the GEESI Framework (Gender Equality, Empowerment of Women, and Social Inclusion) drives this policy (see Figure 1). The overall objective of gender equality is a society in which women and men; girls and boys enjoy the same opportunities, rights, and obligations in all spheres of life. It is important, however, to acknowledge that in most cases where gender inequality exists, it is generally women who are excluded or disadvantaged in relation to decision-making and access to economic and social resources. GENDER EQUALITY EMPOWERMENT SOCIAL OF WOMEN INCLUSION Figure 2.1: Key Elements in the GEESI Perspective As a legal entity, the National Gender Policy is anchored within the framework of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which guarantees equality and right to freedom from discrimination; and the various global, regional, and national policy commitments to gender equality and human rights (including CEDAW; the Beijing Platform of Action; the MDGs; the African Charter and its Protocols for Gender Equality amongst others). It provides institutional guidelines for achieving a just and gender-equitable society, with women and men contributing optimally to and benefitting from national development across all sectors. The policy framework thus revolves around four (4) pillars that cover the practical and strategic needs of women and the poor, namely (i) Policies and Legislation; (ii) Systems and Structures; (iii) Processes, Procedures and Mechanisms and (iv) Services, Goods and Products. They collectively reflect the interaction and mutually reinforcing influence that NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY each pillar has on the other. At one end, while policies and legislation affect the type and nature of systems and structures put in place, a converse relationship ensures that laws and policies are made more functional and effective. At the other end, organisations help to establish the right processes and procedures to translate the policies into valuable good, products and services (outputs) to meet citizens’ diverse demands. Thus, the central thrust of the revised gender policy is ensuring that each institution/stakeholder has a clear understanding of how these four pillars work and their respective roles in the process (see Figure 2.2). Figure 2.2: Gender Policy Conceptual Framework The revised National Gender Policy affirms the importance of gender equality, not only as a fundamental human right but also as essential to poverty reduction and improved living standards, sustainable economic growth, effective and accountable governance. Gender equality is crucial for socio-economic development as well as the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, including the Agenda 2063, the Africa we want. It is estimated that Nigeria's gross domestic product (GDP) could grow by 23 percent (or 229 billion US dollars) by 2025 if women participated in the economy to the same extent as men (World Economic Forum, 2021). Nigeria’s national economic development framework, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) (2017 -2020) aimed at strengthening economic diversification by focusing on NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY three broad objectives: restoring sustainable growth, building a globally competitive economy, and investing in human capital development. The ERGP was envisioned to promote sustained inclusive growth. With the post-ERGP appraisals, it is becoming more obvious that Nigeria will need to adopt gender equality as a core development objective in its own right, and as a smart business practice for equitable distribution of opportunities and resources for enhanced productivity and sustainable human development, so that ‘no one is left behind’. To ensure that gender issues and women’s concerns are appropriately integrated into the macro-economic framework (the engine of national development), it is important to address the structures that continue to perpetuate gender inequality and women's dis- empowerment. This will necessitate a holistic review of all existing legislations and policies using a gender lens, whereby gender concerns are treated as one of the primary pillars of the national development plan with the intention of making opportunities for advancement available to women, men, girls, boys and all the vulnerable groups (the aged, the persons with disabilities among others). In aligning with Nigeria’s economic outlook, the gender policy framework adopts the basic needs approach which defines the absolute minimum resources necessary for long-term physical well-being usually in terms of consumption patterns and the quality-of-life model. Generally, the poverty line is defined as the amount of income required to satisfy those basic needs, including requirements for food, housing, security, shelter, good health, and education. The basic needs approach helps to measure development in terms of a country's ability to meet the basic requirements for life. To comply with the principles embraced in this 4 – pillar approach, the strategy for programme implementation has to be inter-sectoral, involving mobilisation across different sectors to address the multiple needs within this model. 2.2. Guiding Principles and Core Values The policy is guided by the philosophy and general principles of human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment entrenched in international, regional, and national laws and instruments. The revised National Gender Policy is therefore constructed on the following guiding principles and values, that:  the promotion and protection of women’s rights as human rights, provision of social buffers and safety nets, social justice, and equity are critical to national cohesion, growth, and stability;  the uniqueness of the needs of women and girls, compared to those of men and boys, are not homogeneous, originate from varying circumstances, and therefore demand tailored policy responses at sector and sub-sector levels;  the gender policy is central to the achievement of overall national development goals, objectives, and targets on many fronts and from both the macro to the micro-economic levels as gender equality is a driver of growth and good governance;  the cooperative interaction of all stakeholders, including government, private sector, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, community-based organisations, and development partners at all levels is required to drive effective implementation of the policy;  the implementation of the policy shall build on existing structures, and draw on international policy frameworks, protocols, experiences, and practices including affirmative action interventions focused on women, recognising them as a corrective measure to bridge gaps in opportunities and access to resources; and  gender analysis is an integral part and essential component of all policy articulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY 2.3. Policy Goal The overall goal of the policy is: To build a just society devoid of discrimination, where the needs and concerns of women, men, girls, and boys are mainstreamed equitably into all sectors of national development. 2.4. Policy Strategic Objectives The objectives of the revised National Gender Policy are to: i. Bridge gender/social inclusion gaps and achieve parity in all spheres of life. ii. Protect women’s human rights and mitigate sexual and gender-based violence through appropriate buffers and related services. iii. Explore and fully harness women’s human capital assets as a growth driver for national development through women’s economic empowerment. iv. Advance women’s participation and representation in leadership and governance. v. Support women and girls’ education, lifelong health, survival, and sustainable development. vi. Ensure that gender equity concerns are integrated into social protection, and complex humanitarian actions, legislations, and policies vii. Ensure that the socially excluded groups (e.g. persons with disabilities, the elderly, and the poor) are mainstreamed in development practice. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY

SECTION 3: POLICY PRIORITIES, OBJECTIVES, TARGETS & SECTION THREE STRATEGIC ACTIONS 3.0: INTRODUCTION The 2021 National Gender Policy addresses the following key policy priority areas, which are further enumerated in this section: i. Legislation and policy frameworks ii. Economic Empowerment, Productivity and Livelihoods iii. Human Development iv. GEESI in other Key Institutions in the Social Sector v. GEESI in the Security Sector vi. GESSI in Access to Justice, Human Rights & Governance vii. GEESI, Leadership and Political Participation viii. GEESI, Gender Norms and Socio-cultural Practices 3.1. LEGISLATION AND POLICY REFORMS Situation Analysis and Policy Concern The normative framework for the promotion and protection of gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion in Nigeria, is anchored on legislative, judicial, policy, and International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory. Nigeria continues to perform very poorly gauging by the synthesis of performances across the four dimensions of the Gender Gap Index adopted globally, mainly because of non- adherence to its own human rights principles as stated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and a mirage of global and regional Treaties and Conventions on human and women’s rights. Nigeria is replete with patriarchal values that undervalue women’s contributions to national development, and their roles in the development process. Human rights abuses, including gender-based violence among others, are the order of the day. Policy Statement Achieve a national re-orientation in the commitment to gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion principles and concerns Objectives i. Eliminate gender discriminatory policies and laws both at the federal and state levels; and in the private sector institutions. ii. Mainstream gender and social inclusion concerns in all existing policies and laws iii. Implement Gender Equality policies and laws iv. Increase awareness of both men and women of their rights under the Constitution and international laws, like CEDAW v. Ensure that women have access to justice (in particular, in the area of SGBV among others) NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Targets i. Nigeria to fully domesticate CEDAW by the year 2025; ii. Adoption of the National Gender Policy by at least 80% of MDAs at the federal level by 2025 iii. At least 60% domestication/adoption of the National Gender Policy by State Governments and their institutions by 2025 iv. Adopt gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) in public financing v. Make the Nigeria judicial and legal system gender friendly and responsive Strategies i. Advocate for the application of the 50:50 affirmative action in both appointive and elective positions in Nigeria; ii. Advocate for CEDAW domestication iii. Adoption of Gender Mainstreaming as a development strategy across sectors iv. Build capacity of state and non-state actors in the use of gender mainstreaming frameworks and gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) v. Invest more in training women for leadership positions vi. Rewards and punishments for compliant and non-compliant with gender related laws and policies. vii. Build the capacity of the judiciary and the law enforcement agents in gender responsive judicial and legal system 3.2. ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, PRODUCTIVITY, AND LIVELIHOODS The Context Youth, women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) are generally excluded from economic and livelihood opportunities. The baseline assessment shows that economic growth has been slow and disconnected from redistributive policies that could reduce income inequality and alleviate poverty. However, the policy environment around social investment and financial inclusion is improving with prospects for robust impacts if strategically and transparently implemented. Big questions on financial inclusion and market remain. Lack of access to basic education, healthcare, and financial services are key drivers of Nigeria's gender inequality. However, there are examples to draw from how the Nigerian governments at local, state, and federal levels are becoming more responsive in social investments and spreading safety nets to mitigate financial vulnerabilities. The following five core themes are covered under economic empowerment, productivity, and livelihood: i. agriculture & rural development; ii. employment; iii. business sector; iv. sports and entertainment; v. unpaid care work & household economy. Each of the sub-themes in the key priority area is further enumerated focusing on: key policy concern, policy statement, objectives, and strategic actions. a. Gender, Agriculture and Rural Development Situation Analysis and Policy Concern: In Nigeria, women account for 60% of the farming population working as labour and farm managers, mostly on rural farmlands (Uduji & Okolo-Obasi, 2018). Ironically, a large gender gap persists in the agriculture sector. Limited access to productive factors such as credit and NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY land ownership for women account for a high proportion of the current gender gaps in the sector. For example, the National Home-grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP), which is a specialised intervention that seeks to boost the nutritional status of school children, reduce out-of-school children and dropouts that are associated with poverty, tends to benefit more male farmers (compared to female farmers). The ripple effects of the programme include a boost to local food production and empowerment of local farmers. The programme has generated employment for 107,862 cooks covering 54,952 schools and 97% of these cooks are women (Partnership for Child Development, 2019), making it the single largest employer of women in Nigeria. Such data cannot be said of the farmers that are supplying food items to these schools. The majority of farmers that have the capacity to supply food items are more likely to be men. Reasons such as limited access to capital, land ownership and the required network to win contracts are more prevalent among women farmers. Policy Statement: An inclusive agriculture policy that is at the intersection of rural development and value chain enhancement for increased earning and dignity of farmers across gender, geography, generations, and disability. Objectives: i. Undertake targeted actions for gender specific and inclusive agriculture sector, including ‘green’ agriculture and climate smart agriculture (CSA) i.e. expanding opportunities for women, youths (boys and girls), and PWDs (females and males) in modern agriculture ii. Implement digital and financial gender specific and inclusion strategies for women, youths and PWDs iii. Ensure GEESI disaggregated data as a matter of policy and performance indicator; iv. Implement the Agriculture Gender Policy and the Gender Management System in the Agriculture Sector to ensure a system-wide gender mainstreaming in the sector. Targets: i. Expanded opportunities for women and the vulnerable groups (including youths and the PWDs, in particular those in the female category) in agriculture (including green agriculture) by removing gender based discriminatory practices in access to land, landed properties, improved technology and inputs among others ii. Expanded growth and linkages of agriculture and agro-industry to meet demands in domestic, regional and international markets whilst boosting productivity, value addition, employment and incomes, especially in rural and peri-urban areas to benefit women, rural poor and other vulnerable groups (across gender groups). iii. Women’s Access to, and Control over, Productive Assets in Agriculture iv. Mainstream gender and social inclusion principles into the agricultural extension services v. Integrate gender and social inclusion frameworks into climate change mitigations, and opportunities in ‘green and climate smart agriculture vi. Develop gender indicators to monitor progress in the agricultural sector, and for sectoral accountability to the engendering process. vii. Adoption of a 50% Affirmative Action in leadership positions in agricultural institutions, including the MDAs and agricultural educational institutions. viii. Adopt the Gender Responsive Budgeting in the agricultural sector NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Strategies: i. Recognise and close disparities of gender and other forms of vulnerabilities through deliberate key performance indicators (KPI) measurement, e.g., sex-disaggregated data and reporting; ii. A 'no GEESI disaggregated data, no budget approval' policy (across sectors) by the National Assembly oversight committees. iii. Analysis of and strengthening of the agro value chain in areas of women's participation; iv. Local and global partnership with ideas for green farming and up-scaling sustainable agriculture and viable technical, institutional and business models are tested and applied; v. Access to state-of-the-art technical support to women and the rural poor to increase productivity, employment and income vi. Build capacity on gender disaggregated data collection in the sector, including data on the roles of PWDs in the agricultural sector. vii. A review of the agriculture database to include genuinely verified farmers who receive agro support directly (using sex disaggregated data); viii. The promotion of high-quality analysis to independently attract additional investment flows and effective public-private partnerships in agriculture and related livelihood opportunities like processing; ix. Sustenance of the home-grown school feeding programme, which buys locally grown food items from local farmers (men and women) and employs women. b. Gender and Employment (Labour Participation) Situation analysis and policy concern: Between 60-79% of Nigeria's rural labour force is female (Mayah, Mariotti, Mere, & Odo, 2017). Some cultural practices such as child marriage, child labour, hawking and other practices fuel women's diminished economic status. As of 2017 out of a total labour force population of 80 million, about 22 million graduates (primary, secondary and tertiary) are unemployed (NBS, 2017). The proportion of youths (aged 15-24) not in school, employment, and training stood at 38% in 2018 (Innocent, 2014). In some workplaces, women earn less than men for equal work, and they miss out on promotions when they have to go for maternity leave. They work shorter hours with the attendant appraisal that their contribution is less than optimal. The numbers are also troubling in the public service, where it is approximately a 30:70 women to men ratio, as the employee profile data shows (NBS, 2016). Labour laws are archaic and do not consider the shifting nature of the workplace and the emergence of platform economics, making it more difficult for workers to organise and engage employers (World Bank, 2018). Policy Statement: Inclusive labour practices that can enhance the growth of economies and the development of all citizens Objectives: NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY i. Support broader sectoral focused intervention to stimulate a more inclusive business environment; ii. Empower and uplift more women out of poverty; iii. Increase responsive policy-making focused on female-headed MSMEs and households; iv. Enact Labour laws that are GEESI compliant; v. Ensure equitable labour practices in the workplace, and the Nigeria labour market. Targets i. A crop of young women in new business such as transportation, artisanship, computer coding, and repairs among others; ii. Promotion of decent work for women in Nigeria iii. Promotion of decent wages for Women by closing gender gaps in wages iv. Reviewed Labour laws and policies for GEESI compliance, including Flexi working hours, parental leave, and work-life harmony plans for parents (women and men). v. Increased access to affordable and reliable renewable energy sources for Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), rural and urban settlements; vi. An expanded base of private sector-based service providers focused on business and market development for SMEs, including microfinance and entrepreneurship training; vii. Elimination of sex segregation in the Nigeria labour market. viii. Promotion of women's access to trade, procurement, and opportunities in the extractive industries especially oil and gas. Strategies: i. Craft, evaluate, and fund GEESI MSME focused key performance indicators; ii. Grant support to all businesses to be based on inclusive policy viz; 45% of those to benefit must be women and 5% must be people with disability; iii. Encouraging and rewarding innovative/gender-responsive corporate social responsibility (CSR) models that support MSMEs; iv. Creating an enduring/gender-responsive system of growth such that recipients of economic benefits become employers of labour, thus moving up the pyramid and empowering others as well (across gender groups); v. Campaigns and actions to review labour laws and policies for GEESI compliance, including Flexi working hours, parental leave, and work-life harmony plans for parents (women and men). vi. Special training (second chance quota) for women who may go on maternity leave c. Gender and the Business Sector (Informal & Formal sectors) Situation Analysis and Policy Concern: The policy language ‘formal and informal’ sectors, meaning one sector is more mainstreamed and organised than the other, is a dis-service to growing the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It seems to keep the MSMEs at the periphery of policy discourse and the market. Yet, the global trend shows that MSMEs are the growers of the economy (Salihu, Annuar, & Obid, 2015). Women dominate micro-enterprises in the micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector. The majority of women-owned businesses fall into (MSMEs) category. The MSMEs are supposed to be the bedrock of industrialisation in Nigeria. Poverty is still rife at 42%. 83 million people are extremely poor in Nigeria(Oradi, 2019). There are 17.2 million MSMEs in Nigeria, and more than 17 million are micro-enterprises. MSMEs NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY represents 96% of the businesses in Nigeria; and contributes 75% of the National Employment (Salihu et al., 2015). A vast proportion of the entrepreneurs in the formal sector of the economy is male. Neither of these enterprises operate with a form of legal nor financial protection. Similarly, over 75.6% and 65% of Microenterprises and SMEs, respectively, have no business plans. Worse still is that 97.8% of the Micro enterprises are not registered, while 96.6% of them are uninsured (Salihu et al., 2015). The consensus emerging is that MSMEs are vulnerable to business shocks and increased risks. Consequently, the mortality rate of these enterprises is 20%. Although in 2017, 59.6 million jobs were created by MSMEs in terms of the number of employees per enterprise compared to only five percent (5%) or 2.8 million of the jobs created by other stakeholders in the economy. Despite these contributions, few MSMEs have access to finance. The percentage of finance access by MSMEs was 5% of 2011 GDP (ERinA, 2012). In 2017, loans accounted for only 17.5% of the total finance source for most MSMEs (Kale, 2019). There are employment practices that equate to commodification of women and a denial of the link between their productive and reproductive roles (Orbih & Imhonopi, 2019). There are instances where women (especially in the banking sector) are asked to raise the high-net- worth customers through any means possible (thereby exploiting their femininity). Other instances are the refusal to support staff maternity plans including pregnancy on the job and adequate time-off. Worst still, less than 5% of board leaders are women (Nkechi, Emeh Ikechukwu, & Okechukwu, 2012). Under-representation of women in the formal sector and unmet needs in agriculture and MSMEs without commensurate business environment support diminishes women's ability to maximise their economic potentials. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) founded in 2018, a trade agreement among 55 African Union countries, is creating new market opportunities through cross- border trade experiences. It is important to draw up frameworks that could enable women to benefit from this large scale trading and business opportunities. Policy statement: A business environment that provides inclusive development, support, and services to enhance the growth/performance of MSMEs, especially those led by women, and enhancement of women labour participation. Objectives i. Facilitate a gender-responsive ease of doing business strategies for MSMEs ii. Plan a gender-responsive policy design along with MSMEs participation iii. Commit to business policy continuity for stability iv. Engage the 'formal' business sector corporate strategy process for GEESI compliance Targets i. Development of Workplace Gender Policy to eliminate inequities and barriers to women and other vulnerable groups in the workplace ii. Affirmative action principles where 60% of MSMEs support are set aside for women, like the Central Bank (CBN) Policy of 2014 iii. Affirmative action on Board appointments to be diversity balanced, including gender, geography, generation, disability and faith without sacrificing merit NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY iv. Access to loans and funds with realistic and sustainable conditions and financial information training to MSMEs v. Digitisation of Government to Persons (G2P) payments, and financial inclusion to reduce corruption and misappropriation of funds meant for MSMEs vi. Draw up frameworks that would allow Nigeria women to participate fully in the AfCFTA cross-border trade experiences and opportunities Strategies i. The articulation of a clear business case to private sector players on the benefits of targeting their BE-related products at female-headed micro-enterprises ii. Documenting the presence and achievement of women entrepreneurs operating in the informal business environment, including those working from home. iii. Advocacy organisations speak for and with women to advance inclusive policy- making relating to how the business environment responds to the needs of female-led MSMEs working from homes. iv. Sustaining the application of business incentive packages such as tax holiday and free business registrations, especially in supporting women in the informal economy to move into the formal economy v. Mainstream gender concerns in the Nigeria’s response and participation in the AfCFTA cross-border trade experiences and opportunities. vi. Campaigns to raise the number of women playing critical roles on corporate boards, starting with companies making products in which women and children are the primary users and buyers. vii. The National Centre for Women's Development inducting into the hall of fame, business and other leaders who lead GEESI change in their sector d. Sports & Entertainment Industry Situation and Policy Concern Nigeria is yet to harness the passion of its citizenry for sports and to develop sports as an industry that can align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for propelling economic, social, and community development. The fact that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) does not classify sports as an economic sector activity but rather as recreation speaks to the position sports occupy in national planning. Sports were not captured as a contributor in rebasing the economy in 2014 (Dandaura, 2014) . The social factors hampering the industry include the fact that there is no coherent initiative or regulation that will encourage mass participation in sports through fitness and recreation to develop a healthy lifestyle among the citizenry. In addition, gender participation is not fully leveraged because of inadequate policies to accommodate women's special needs in sports at both participatory and management levels and the disparity of remuneration between female and male athletes. Lastly, the absence of sufficient infrastructure for the development and management of sports at the grassroots level is a deterrent for the use of sports for social inclusivity and community development (Dandaura, 2014). The Nigeria home movie industry, Nollywood, is Africa's largest producing movie industry and is only next to India's Bollywood in the global ranking, producing about 200 videos per month and grossing USD 250 million annually (Osinubi, 2021)). Entertainment, including NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Nollywood's production, streamed content on pay per view platforms contributed in part to 0.31 % of the GDP in 2021 and said to continue to grow (Simona, 2021). Entertainment has the potential to serve as an avenue for engendering positive change to counterbalance the effect of negative prevailing cultural and societal norms, standards and practices. However, the entertainment media in Nigeria is often an unfiltered platform that provides a ready medium for programming, messages, adverts, music, movies, and entertainment that denigrate women and womanhood. Media as entertainment is driven by business interest managed by men who have more financial leverage than women and who may not realise the consequences of programming that "objectivise" women. Policy statement: The transformation of sports as a revenue-generating, health and recreation product that is grassroots-driven, and growing the entertainment sector into a veritable employer, revenue generator and driver of positive gender norms Objectives i. Invest adequately in sports and entertainment to show-case the talents of women/girls, and persons with disabilities; and enhance their contributions to national development ii. Enable GEESI policies that give equal rights and respect to all players in the sports and entertainment field iii. Use entertainment products to showcase GEESI and its core values iv. Use the entertainment industry to showcase the achievements of women and persons with disabilities Targets i. Investment in sports as an economic activity generating revenue from recreation and introduce sporting activities to engage youth in restive areas and channel their energies into productive endeavours. ii. Mainstreaming GEESI values in Sports and in the Entertainment Industry, without diminishing their market and interest base iii. Curating a new generation of writers and actor/ actresses who understand and can amplify GEESI core values. Strategies i. Special funds for female and PWDs athletes, to build their capacities and capabilities ii. Introduction of sporting activities to engage youth in restive areas and channel their energies into productive endeavours. iii. Mobilisation campaign against opportunity and pay disparities across gender groups, and those caused by disabilities, in the sports industry iv. Development of gender and social inclusive policy in the sporting and entertainment sectors v. Using of gender sensitive language in sporting and in the media vi. Building of the capacity of sporting regulators and officers; and the media in the area of gender sensitisation, awareness and mainstreaming e. Unpaid Care Work & the Household Economy Situation analysis and policy concern: A disconnect exists between the appreciation of women's reproductive and productive work, which alienates women from economic opportunities and voice. Work in the domestic sphere NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY is often treated as 'non-productive work' and not linked with public policy and productive enterprise. Childbearing and rearing are tasks that aid the growth of the national workforce and should be recognised and respected as such in the planning process. Instead, support services, such as crèches, paternity leave, and paid maternity leave, are still few, while women's unpaid care work is hardly recognised and valued. Globally, the definition of women's work and their productive capacity is increasingly recognised as transcending more than one sphere. This reality contrasts the widely held perception that women's role is limited to the domestic space. Furthermore, Oxfam (2021) puts the value of women's unpaid work annually at 10 trillion dollars globally. Nigeria at 1/3 of the world, Nigerian women's unpaid work comes to about 300 billion USD annually most of it without any labour-saving or technological device (OXFAM, 2021). Despite this reality, women's contributions are undervalued and under-utilised as earlier expressed in this policy document (see section on ‘gender and employment). The derivative effect of these concrete contributions is that women's unpaid work makes all the rest of the work possible (OXFAM, 2019). Policy statement: To evolve a policy framework that takes into consideration the intersectionality of women's productive and reproductive work to enhance the quality of life of women and families Objectives: i. Advocate for new norms that de-stigmatise domestic unpaid work across gender groups; ii. Address work-life – imbalance in national planning; iii. Make women unpaid domestic/care work part of national accounts; iv. Focus on provision of basic necessities and services for enhanced quality of life Targets i. The value of domestic work in National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is accounted for; ii. Reducing Women’s Time burden to enable their participation in National development iii. Media adopts GEESI-informed and issues-based reporting iv. Society-wide adoption of culture of ‘gender-respect’ and gender equity for national development; v. Access to safe family planning methods and choice Strategies: i. Women Advocacy Groups working with the media to adopt GEESI-informed and issues-based reporting ii. Families raising boys and girls in the culture of gender-respect; and boys growing up into men who share in household chores as a norm iii. Countrywide advocacy and awareness creation to eliminate discriminatory cultural practices against women and girls, including: gender-based violence, hindered access to justice and land, and harmful traditional practices in their various forms. iv. Advocacy and policy action in support of paternity leave across all government, private sector and civil society employment platforms; v. Government and civil society raising awareness and ensuring access to safe family planning methods and choice. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY vi. Sustained engagement of media owners, government, the private sector, civil society organisations and development partners on gender transformative change for national development. 3.3. HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Context By 2030, more than one-third of the Nigerian populace will be between the ages of 16 and 30 years (Price, 2019). The estimation is that young people within this age group will be around 68 million, and by 2050 it would have increased to 131 million. This demographic boom has some inherent dividends that must be harnessed to ensure optimal realisation of the potentials of this youthful boom to outweigh the burden of dependence from children and older persons. The prospects for the demographic boom are currently being threatened except conscious efforts are invested into more inclusive education, employment, and social security programmes for young people. Otherwise, by the year 2050, Nigeria will have a youthful population that is poorly educated, lack sufficient soft and survival skills, poor in ideas, and easy tools for violence. They are also likely to be less confident in competing with their peers in other environments and are more likely to be vulnerable to early marriage and high fertility. The National Population Commission (NPC) has estimated that no fewer than 19 million Nigerians are persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria (Birchall, 2019) Less than 1% of PWDs are employed in the formal sector (Thompson, 2020) Women in Nigeria remain significantly disadvantaged across a broad sphere of life. Starting with health, risks are embedded in bearing, and rearing children, infant mortality and malnutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, and costs of treating such conditions. More examples of risks are found in life cycle hazards such as divorce and widowhood, food insecurity, social obligations in marriage, and domestic violence. There is also literacy risk imposed on women through cultural expectations and limitations which deny girls empowerment opportunities attainable through quality education. To elevate women and poor households, the National Cash Transfer Office was created and commenced programme implementation in September 2016, focusing on three thematic issues: uplifting household program, livelihood support, and building capacity. Some of the Ministries are beginning to appreciate the gender issues in their sectors and also allocate resources to finance them. For instance, the Ministry of Education now has a Girl's education budget line following its gender analysis of the gaps in the education sector, and the Ministry of agriculture has a Gender Policy (2019). The crucial issue under human development is how Nigeria impacts the bottom of the pyramid through economic and social empowerment programmes for women, young people, households and small businesses, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. If resources reach women and girls early, transformative change can happen quickly, while poverty can be stopped before it starts (Aina, Atela, Ojebode, Dayil, & Aremu, 2019). There are nine core themes examined under human development: Health, Survival and Nutrition; Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and COVID-19; Maternal and Child health; Gender and the Health NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Systems; Educational attainment, Vocational and Life skills; Social Protection system, including disability and child protection. a. Health, Survival and Nutrition Situation analysis and policy concern: Although different sectoral policies in Health, Nutrition, Education, and the Child Rights Act have addressed different aspects of the Early Child Development, a missing gap is the lack of synergy among the sectors to foster integration to ensure robust realisation of all the rights of children. The Federal Government of Nigeria launched the National Policy for the Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) in Abuja on the 8th October, 2007. The policy aims to ensure a good start in life for all young Nigerian children under five years of age through the provision of adequate health care, nutrition, access to safe water and sanitation, early learning, psycho-social stimulation and protection. This will create the conditions for every Nigerian child to thrive and develop to their fullest potential and will ensure smooth transition for the child from home to primary school. The policy was to achieve within five years, full immunisation for all children 0-5 years; reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates; adequate ante-natal care for all pregnant women; the smooth transition of the child from home to school; and increased enrolment in primary school, retention and completion of full primary education cycle. The government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, did not take a gender equity and social inclusion lens. At the height of COVID-19, Northern Governors deported Almajiri (itinerant Quranic school) children, majorly boys and some girls, back to their States of origin. So also, the response system to gender-based violence issues, including those emerging from the pandemic, is still relatively slow; there are insufficient safe spaces for survivors of gender- based violence and insufficient Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in the country. The awareness of the National Sexual Offenders Database (NSOD) is low. FGM still remains a major problem for girls in many States across Nigeria. Policy Statement To create gender responsive conditions for every Nigerian child to thrive and develop to their fullest potential with smooth transition to healthy adulthood Objectives: i. Achieve intergovernmental synergy for a holistic/gender responsive approach to child nutrition and health; ii. Enhance gender responsive communication strategies around immunisation and access to family planning; iii. Focus on reducing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including wife battery, rape, FGM and other harmful traditional practices against women/girls etc. Targets i. Mainstream gender frameworks within the Nigerian health system ii. Adoption of a gender-responsive sexual and reproductive health, especially for women, girls, and females living with disabilities. iii. A drastic reduction in SGBV incidences iv. Adoption of HGSFP (Home Grown School Food Programme) across the Nigeria States NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Strategies i. Develop a gender mainstreaming framework for the health sector ii. Focus policy and programming attention on gender responsive sexual and reproductive health with measurable and funded KPIs iii. Local language campaigns on uptake of family planning and child spacing, built upon a gender responsive social dynamic iv. Raising awareness around the existence and purpose of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in the country. v. Establishing more Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and shelters (safe spaces) for SGBV survivors across the Nigeria States. vi. Providing SARCs in remote areas but with awareness-raising engagement for local community vanguard on SGBV vii. Equipping the SARCs so that they can serve as capable first responders in the situation of conflict; viii. Investment in nutritional seed options that can be fed into the school feeding programme and local farming value chain ix. Scaling up of the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) across all states that equitably benefits children with women and men having an equal chance as suppliers and participants in the high value components of value chains b. Reproductive Health/HIV&AIDS/COVID-19 Situation Analysis and Policy Concern: In Nigeria, groups, particularly at risk of stigma, discrimination and exclusion, include women and girls; people with disabilities; ethnic and religious minorities; migrants and internally displaced people; children and younger people; older people; sexual minorities; people without official identification; and people living with HIV (PLWHA). In general, women and girls are more vulnerable to HIV and AIDs infection. Trafficked persons may be forced to perform those sexual practices most associated with AIDS transmission. The consequences of trafficking in girls and women from Nigeria include loss of lives, increasing prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, increased violence and crime rate, increased school drop-out rates, and impaired child development. Nigeria's HIV seroprevalence rate projection for 2012 is 3.3 (Auld et al., 2017). The socio-economic environment is generally linked to hike in mental illness and suicide rates among the youthful age and those in high socio-economic status. Mental illness and other associated incidences of depression and suicide among women are generally associated with relatively higher socio-economic status, older ages, and being unmarried. According to a study conducted by the Lagos State Mental Health Survey (LSMHS) (2018), the point prevalence for symptoms of depression in females is 6.3% as against 4.9% for males(Adewuya et al., 2018). The existing health service delivery system lacks the strategy and resources to address existing gender disparities in access to care and the quality of available services. Nigeria is 2.64% of the world population but accounts for 20% of its maternal mortality (Rabiu et al., 2018). Between 2005 and 2015, WHO estimated that over 600,000 maternal deaths and no less than 900,000 maternal near-miss cases occurred in Nigeria (Sayyadi, Gajida, Garba, & Ibrahim, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic made worse an existing bad situation. COVID-19 pandemic has had profound gender implications, which are likely to lead to increased inequalities. The pandemic exposed the generally deplorable state of the healthcare NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY infrastructure, which is a significant reason for the medical tourism embarked on by the Nigerian elite. The measures to curb the pandemic spread further invoked inherent vulnerability and weaknesses within existing structures and institutions. As the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to answer the questions; how do we bring an inclusive policy lens to tackle socio-economic and cultural barriers? How do we re-imagine freedoms within our limitations of resource, conflict, climate change, and violence? As the world migrates to a digital transaction and employment platform, what should digital justice look like for women, girls and other vulnerable groups (the poor, persons with disabilities; and the elderly among others)? Policy Statement: Safer and gender responsive health and social systems where governments, the private sector and community institutions are better able to respond to the urgent needs of women, girls, PLWHA and other vulnerable groups Objectives: i. Domesticate the National Gender Policy in the Health Sector ii. Build stronger/gender responsive institutions and processes from the COVID-19 pandemic learning experience. iii. Reduce maternal/infant mortality/morbidity rates using gender responsive frameworks iv. Provide basic health and social services with dignity to women, girls, and other vulnerable groups. Targets i. Access to safe family planning methods and choice through gender responsive frameworks and methods. ii. Reduction of maternal/child mortality and morbidity using gender responsive frameworks and methods; iii. Involvement of men in the provision of a gender responsive reproductive health iv. Elimination of harmful traditional practices against women and girls, including FGM, child/forced marriage, and all forms of sexual and gender based violence v. Engendering of medical curriculum and training Strategies: i. Review the legal framework around reproductive health and GBV to address current gaps ii. Sustainability of the use of gender frameworks in health care delivery and in the health system; iii. Budgets are matched to key performance indicators iv. Long term planning for a gender responsive health and safety deliveries; v. Overhaul of the emergency response apparatus of the country vi. Government and civil society raising awareness and ensuring access to safe family planning methods and choice. vii. A sex/gender disaggregated database and tools to take service to the poor quickly viii. Training of gender sensitive medical personnel to handle gender issues in health care deliveries ix. Integrate sexual education in youth programmes, and school curricula, with the aim of reducing teenage pregnancies. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY c. Maternal & Child Health/Child Development Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Women in Nigeria remain significantly disadvantaged across a broad sphere of life. Starting with health risks embedded in motherhood, rearing of children, infant mortality, malnutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, and costs of treating such conditions. The Nigeria maternal mortality ratio (MMR) was 512 deaths per 100.000 live births in 2018 (95% CI: 447-578) (Akaba et al., 2021). The MMR declined from 1400 deaths per 100.000 live births in 1990 to the current value in 2018 (Akaba et al., 2021). However, there are concerns about the rate of decline despite many interventions. The Nigeria MMR is still high and very far from the SDG 3 of less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. Women from rural areas and/or from Northern Nigeria are at a higher risk of maternal deaths compared to their urban and/or Southern counterpart due to higher fertility and some cultural issues. Low contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) and demand were partly responsible for the high fertility rates. The CPR among married women aged 15-49 years was 17% in 2018; while the unmet need in this same group was 19% (Akinbode, Sam-wobo, & Gloria, ND). Nigeria has a male-dominant culture of patriarchy. Married women may have to get permission from their husbands before seeking health care. This culture has been reported to cause a delay in seeking care for women and children with regards to reproductive, maternal, new-born, and child health services. Nigeria is also a highly religious country with Christian, Islam, and Traditional religions as the dominant religious groups. Religious and cultural beliefs in some instances could be a barrier to health-seeking. Policy Statement A safe motherhood and childhood where women and children thrive Objectives i. Review policies to ensure they are compliant with global standards for maternal and childcare ii. Use participatory approaches to health care, rooted in community best practices and involving beneficiaries (in particular, women, girls and persons with disabilities) iii. Engender/ integrate gender models in research focusing on maternal and child health Targets i. Improved access to safe family planning methods and choice. ii. Improved early childcare including immunisation iii. Health policies are compliant with global standards for maternal and child care iv. Gender is mainstreamed across medical disciplines. v. Gender research and the use of gender statistics in the health sector Strategies i. Government and civil society raising awareness and ensuring access to safe family planning methods and choice. ii. Amplify the campaign for early childcare including immunisation iii. Review of health policies to ensure they are compliant with global standards for maternal and childcare iv. CSOs and government to design participatory approaches to care rooted in community best practices NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY v. Build on the SURE-P Maternal and Child Health cash transfer lessons and make more conditional cash transfers programmes focused on Women and persons with disabilities and other specific groups vi. Advocacy for the inclusion of gender studies in school curriculums at all levels vii. Amplify gender research and the use of gender statistics for policy and planning across sectors viii. Social mobilisation programmes aiming at changing gender norms to improve maternal and child health d. Gender and the Health Systems Situation Analysis and Policy Concern The existing health service delivery system lacks the strategy and resources to address existing gender disparities in access to care and quality of available services. Policy Statement A gender responsive health system which supports human development systems for resilient growth and development. Objectives i. Mainstream gender concerns into the Nigerian health system and the health delivery strategies; ii. Adopt a Health Policy that is sustainability focused on access, quality and affordability iii. Advocate for post COVID-19 significant investment in Nigeria's social investment portfolio iv. Achieve an effective intra and inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration to resolve many of the gender issues in the Nigerian health delivery system. Targets i. Engender existing health policies and plans. ii. Development of a health plan that reduces the disease burden on families, in particular, women as caregivers iii. Appropriate referrals pathways exist in Local Government (LGA) and Ward level Primary Health Care Systems and appropriate referrals pathways to other levels of care. iv. Access to a comprehensive package of appropriate, affordable, quality, equitable and integrated essential health care services within the context of a strengthened, gender responsive health care system, aligning resources to needs. v. A gender responsive health care system - across levels: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. vi. A coordination policy framework to ensure a culture of gender sensitivity and equality principles in all institutions and structures of government, the private sector and communities dealing with health, nutrition and communication issues vii. Upgrade of Primary Health Care Centres across Local Government Areas Strategies i. Implementation of a health plan that reduces the disease burden on families, in particular, women as care givers. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY ii. Strengthened local government (LGA) and ward primary health care systems and appropriate referral pathways to other levels of care. iii. Access to a comprehensive package of appropriate, affordable, quality, equitable and integrated essential health care services within the context of a strengthened, gender responsive health care system, aligning resources to needs. iv. Maternal and childcare awareness and information on access v. A resource tracking framework to measure a post-COVID-19 recovery for resilience vi. A coordination policy framework to ensure a culture of gender sensitivity and equality principles in all institutions and structures of government, the private sector and communities dealing with health, nutrition and communication issues vii. Implementation of a well-coordinated sex-disaggregated database for all aspects of health indicators viii. International development partners to continue to play key roles in facilitating the design and implementation of a gender-responsive health delivery framework for the country ix. Government collaborating with religious organisations, whose scope of work, targets, programme designs can help raise awareness on gender issues in health, and reduce/ remove stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, and other reproductive health issues which affect women the most. x. Increased investment in the health sector leading to improved welfare for women, and the health professionals in line with globally acceptable standards e. Educational Attainment, Vocational and Life Skills Situation Analysis and Policy Concern There is a rise in school dropouts, particularly among female citizens, due to teenage pregnancy. For example, the percentage of primary school completion rate for both sexes was 77.06% in 2017, while quality assurance mechanisms are weak despite a plethora of inspection services at all levels of the system (UNICEF, 2021b). Inequities in terms of gender, geographical zones, states, local governments, and schools are debilitating factors. Curricula are generally outdated and failed to focus on the development of cognitive skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and therefore inappropriate for the 21st, Century critical thinking workplace. Large numbers of teachers are unqualified. Teachers are not well trained and lack motivation; teaching methods are out of date; there is insufficient teaching of life skills, teaching/learning materials and access to technology are inadequate; teacher deployment is inefficient. Very little learning leading to low achievement: 70% failure rate in WAEC (Asikhia, 2010). There is limited GEESI content in teaching and learning culture. Girls bear a disproportionate share of domestic work. For households leverage on the use of technology and gadgets, male children are usually prioritised in the use of these gadgets. The girls are not given the same time to do school homework because they have more domestic chores. The girls take a back seat in terms of priority to children in accessing digitalised classrooms. Girls might have little access to a digitised classroom in the future with its attendant consequence for quality and relevant learning. Policy Statement Facilitating the delivery of an inclusive educational sector plan aligned with industry, market and life learning and the elimination of gender and disability disparities at all levels of education. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Objectives i. Eliminate gender disparities at all levels of the Nigerian educational system; ii. Provide a gender-sensitive learning environment across the Nigerian educational levels; iii. Review the education curricula and infrastructure for learning to make outputs of the Nigerian educational system more relevant to industrial growth, and to the needs of the productive sector iv. Increase access to life-changing opportunities across gender groups, through improved quality teaching and learning outcomes; v. Provide high quality and affordable education from early childhood to tertiary level that will close gender gaps in enrolment2. vi. Strengthen, improve, remove gender biases, and draw up alternative learning frameworks for vocational education and training. Targets i. Adoption of the National Gender Policy across sectors, with a clear accountability and inclusion structure for states ii. Mainstreaming of gender concerns in educational policies, plans, programmes and the learning environment; iii. Gender and disability friendly infrastructures across the Nigerian schools iv. Increased participation of women in the School-Based Management Committees and leadership positions in the education sector. v. Recruitment of more women into the educational system, to serve as role models to female students and pupils vi. A 50/50 ratio of female/male in STEM education by 2030. vii. Adopt a 50% Affirmative Action to bridge gender gaps in leadership positions at all levels, in the education sector, by 2030. Strategies i. Encourage more girl/ child enrolment and "criminalise" hawking while providing social safety net and economic options for poor parents ii. Using gender frameworks to monitor and evaluate school/educational performance, enrolment and truancy. iii. Advocacy and technical support to advance gender and inclusion studies in the national school curricula, from primary schools through to tertiary institutions iv. Incentivise girls to participate effectively in STEM education (i.e., more women/girls in science /technology focused disciplines) v. Leveraging technology to improve women/girls’ access to education and learning vi. Improve the quality of investment in technical and vocational training education vii. Increased investment in the education sectors leading to improved participation of girls, persons with disabilities, and children from poor families among others; viii. Engendering the School-Based Management Committees to better tackle gender issues in schools, and the documentation of good practices for replication and adaption, where possible 2 Different levels of education in Nigeria are identified in the National Policy on Education as - - Early childhood care and development education (ECCDE); - Basic Education (Pre-primary, Primary Education and Junior Secondary Education; - Adult and Non-Formal Education; - Post-Basic Education (Senior Secondary Schools and Technical Colleges); and - Tertiary Education (Colleges of Education, Mono-technics, Polytechnics, and the Universities). NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY ix. Prioritising grassroots education of citizens, including second-chance learning for adults (men and women), especially in disproportionately affected regions x. Access to post-graduate education with world-class infrastructure for learning and research and support for scientific reforms that underpin the transformation of the continent xi. Improved dissemination of career, guidance counselling and information on vacancies in the labour market for post-secondary and university graduates. f. Social Protection System Situation analysis and policy concerns Increasingly, social protection and management of human crisis remain a big challenge to the government and development partners. Accordingly, 'humanitarian crisis is fuelled by a combination of factors which include inter-communal conflict and violence, insurgency, climate change, recurrent floods, and high-handed tactics of security forces in combating crimes among others. The humanitarian crisis got worse as about 14.8 million people, according to the 2016 UNOCHA report, are affected by the crisis in the North East, which Boko Haram has precipitated since 2009. Internally displaced persons have spread beyond the axis of Boko Haram conflict in the North East (Borno Adamawa, Yobe and to some extent Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba) (Mohammed, 2020). An estimated seven million women, men, and children are displaced, confined, and hosting in humanitarian assistance, food, and basic services including health, education, water, and sanitation (Simon, 2021). The armed conflicts in the country have extended to farmers- herders conflict, armed banditry, and kidnapping, and affecting civilians living in precarious conditions and undermined poverty reduction and development efforts, putting at risk inter- ethnic and inter-religious co-existence. The gender dimension of conflict and emergency in the country is highlighted by sexual violence characteristic of Boko Haram attacks on communities and the extent of gender-based violence (GBV) perpetrated by the deadly sect and among displaced communities. This has been exacerbated by the outbreak of deadly communicable diseases such as Lassa fever, Ebola virus, and recent COVID-19 pandemic (Olaseni, Akinsola, Agberotimi, & Oguntayo, 2020). Girls not Bride’s data shows that Nigeria has the 11th highest prevalence of child marriage in the world and the third-highest absolute number of women married or in a union before the age of 18 in the world – 3,742,000 (Girls Not Bride, 2021). Approximately, 43% of girls in Nigeria are married before their 18th birthday, and 16% are married before age 15 (UNICEF, 2021a). Also, 3% of boys in Nigeria are married before the age of 18. Child marriage is most common in the North West and North East of Nigeria, where 68% and 57% of women aged 20-49 were married before their 18th birthday (Girls Not Bride, 2021). The National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) of 2016 was designed to help individuals and households to cope with socio-economic shocks, prevent/reduce poverty, and promote/enhance livelihoods and a life of dignity. Hitherto, the social protection agenda has generally been presented in terms of categories of the poor, while excluding social groups, differentiated according to age and sex among others. The importance of making social protection measures responsible to different gender-specific categories of risk is now a NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY central issue of concern. It is therefore important to mainstream gender into all aspects of policy and programmes designed for social protection Policy Statement Healthier, safer and better-nourished families, where the dignity of the women and girls raising them are upheld, including a sustainable and inclusive social safety net for the poor. Objectives i. Mainstream gender concerns in all policies and programmes in the social protection sector, including poverty reduction policies and programmes; dealing with health risks and socio-economic shocks; and inclusive development. ii. Ensure the implementation and a gender responsive evaluation of relevant social protection policies iii. Ensure environmental sustainability for all hard-to-reach regions and people, including the Niger Delta Region, Northeast and other conflict zones, Indigenous and Nomadic communities. iv. A participatory approach to addressing conflict and trauma where women play a central role in peacebuilding design v. Adoption of effective SGBV mitigation framework in the country. Targets i. Data Bank on the root causes and impacts of violence; dimensions of vulnerability in the context of displacement and involuntary migration, including trafficking and; how the proliferation of small arms affects women's social and physical security; ii. Engendering of Social Protection Policies across the Nigerian States iii. Development and implementation of a comprehensive and gender responsive action plan for conflict prone zones in the country, including emergency humanitarian assistance, relocation, rehabilitation, and resettlement, and building peace, security, infrastructure, agriculture, health, safe-school education, governance and the re- invigoration of the Amnesty Plan where appropriate. iv. Conclusion of the NIMC national social security number process as a tool to help determine the basic living standard in terms of health care and education facilities and housing required for the poor (women and men). v. Legislative reforms, including constitutional reform in place to guarantee gender justice and respect for human rights and economic reforms for enhanced productivity and sustainable development, especially that which addresses the needs of women and children and other vulnerable groups. vi. Implementation and annual evaluation of the status of the Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act across all states and the FCT Strategies i. Continued research to understand the underlying social dynamics and causes of violence; dimensions of vulnerability in the context of displacement and involuntary migration, including trafficking and; how the proliferation of small arms affects women's social and physical security ii. Objective assessments and compensation of mining host communities ensured anytime there is pollution or violation of rights. iii. A more holistic response that includes education on the dangers of illegal migration, providing tangible support for intending migrants, and the strengthening of government agencies to facilitate effective collaboration NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY iv. Improved police to person ratio for effective policing; and capacity building training and incentives for the police who work under conflict induced humanitarian conditions. v. Establishment of a SGBV survivor fund where the victims/survivors are also a part of trauma management interventions to reclaim their lives. vi. Strengthening the capacity of the Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) established across state to provide urgent and relevant services vii. Emphasis on psycho-social care, de-stigmatise mental health, and raise awareness on appropriate care-seeking behaviour viii. Sustain prioritised social protection interventions as a critical strategy towards reducing poverty and socio-economic vulnerabilities in the population, and encouraging Government to Persons (G2P) payments digitisation and financial inclusion (Poverty Technical Work Group, 2020). ix. Designing and applying a strategy for engaging traditional and religious leaders, across gender groups to build capacities and infusing GEESI into the traditional justice system. x. Financial or other forms of contributory support provided for infrastructural development and maintenance such as education, health or other community services, roads, water, and power xi. Adequate information and communication, research and data, and monitoring and evaluation as supportive strategies for achieving the policy goal. xii. Leveraging technology to improve public service productivity and efficiency to deliver services for citizens. g. Gender and Disability Situation Analysis and Policy Concern About 15 percent of Nigeria's population, or at least 25 million people, have a disability (Ewang, 2019). Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) experience several human rights abuses, including stigma, discrimination, violence, and lack of access to healthcare, housing, and education. Women and girls with disabilities face triple barriers to full equality and advancement because they are female, poor, and have a disability (Olatunbosun, 2020). They also suffer disadvantages in essential aspects of daily living, such as education, employment, health, and housing. There are six clusters of disabilities recognised worldwide - blindness, deafness, physical disability, disability from leprosy, spinal cord injury, and intellectual disability. Disability affects women, men and children (Haruna, 2017) . Less than 5% of children and young persons with disabilities have access to education and training. The incidence of maltreatment and abuse of women with disabilities far exceeds that of women without disabilities (Iglesias, Gil, Joneken, B, & Knudsen, 1998). This is generally due to stigmas associated with both disability and gender. In many societies, women are generally seen as caregivers. When a disability prevents a woman from functioning fully in that capacity, she is often viewed as a failure. Though the Nigeria Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018 made special provisions for the protection of persons with disabilities, the Act failed to touch on the peculiar needs of women and girls who face multiple oppressions based on their gender and disability status. Policy Statement An inclusive/gender responsive approach to understanding disability and meeting the needs of all persons with disabilities, with dignity. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Objectives: i. Engender and popularise the Disability Act of 2018 and the Disability Commission ii. Mainstream disability from a GEESI perspective into all facets of planning, policy and programming relating to persons with disability iii. Facilitate workplace culture that is inclusive of PWDs Targets i. Review of curricula for inclusive disability awareness learning from the primary school to tertiary level ii. Review of the Disability Act of 2019 using a GEESI framework iii. Development of equitable and inclusive workplace policies in Nigeria iv. Elimination of all discriminations against persons with disabilities Strategy: i. Engagement and support to the Disability Commission to design GEESI compliant policies and programmes focused on government, private sector and civil society and the community and to measure the impact ii. Activation of the building code policy that requires all public buildings to be disability accessible iii. Campaigns for equitable and inclusive workplace policies in Nigeria for PWDs iv. Widely disseminate annual disability reporting from the Commission to the disability community and globally. v. Increased government funding of disability schools The provision of water services in the states has impact on sanitation and vi. NGO campaigns to address stigma and awareness hygiene. Without water, about all forms of disability especially intellectual adequate sanitation and good disability hygiene practices will be vii. A database of organisations that support children difficult to achieve. Government with disabilities to be kept by the disability should therefore ensure the Commission and popularised digitally achievement of target set under the Water Sector Roadmap 3.4. GEESI in other selected Key Institutions in the Social Sector 3.4.1. Water and Sanitation Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) are resources essential for good life, health, hygiene, and wellbeing of citizens. The provision of water services has impact on the improvement on access to sanitation and hygiene. Without water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene practices will be difficult to achieve. Women need water for domestic activities; cleaning, washing and cooking; lack of water infrastructure puts more burden on women and children. But pipe-borne water is found only in some urban and peri-urban areas. Rural areas have few boreholes, and, in some places, they are broken down. Water is important for agriculture, domestic and industrial use and for environmental harmony. COVID-19 has exposed the lack of good hygiene practices and the need for water services to be made available, as close as possible to the citizens (Rafaeli & Hutchinson, 2020). Sanitation has been very challenging to manage, with Nigeria still on the list of countries practicing open defecation. Nigeria did not record improvement in access to sanitation services at the end of the MDG's (UNICEF, 2015). However, with the declaration of State of Emergency in the Water and Sanitation sector, and the target set by the government to NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY achieve an open defection free society by 2025, these are right policy response requiring the right implementation strategy to achieve fruition. Policy Statement A practical water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) plan that delivers essential services for women, girls and communities. Objectives i. Provide necessary gender responsive legal frameworks for effective water resources management ii. Ensure a gender responsive implementation of the Water Sector Roadmap iii. Incorporate gender mainstreaming frameworks into the Water Sector Roadmap Targets i. Enactment of gender responsive laws to regulate and ensure judicious/equitable utilisation of water resources ii. Development of appropriate gender responsive strategies/mechanisms to ensure effective implementation of existing laws/policy on water resource utilisation iii. Provision of a gender responsive budgeting and funding to ensure implementation and achievement of targets of the Water Sector Roadmap iv. Gender Mainstreaming in the WASH sector Strategies i. Develop capacity of personnel working in the water sector on gender mainstreaming ii. Incorporate gender responsive budgeting as instrument of gender mainstreaming into the Water Sector Roadmap iii. Develop gender indicators and sex-disaggregated data to ensure equitable utilisation of water resources iv. Enlist the participation of women in policy planning and project implementation on WASH v. Develop strategies to incorporate social inclusion frameworks into Water Sector Roadmap vi. Strengthen gender mainstreaming machinery in the sector through continuous training vii. Collaborate with the national assembly on capital project appropriation to use a gender responsive framework in the provision of boreholes and other water related rsources in their constituency projects 3.4.2. Housing In Nigeria, housing is primarily a resource owned by more men than women. which is why women are not considered in housing development processes in Nigeria. Even in spatial designs of homes, spaces that are mainly occupied by women like the kitchen and store attract lesser priority (Ibimilua, 2011). A wider analysis of the existing lack of proper housing has compounded the needed access to clean and well-planned toilet facilities. Unfortunately, about 7 in 10 women in Nigeria have no access to safe toilets, which poses high health and abuse vulnerabilities and risks for women and girls (Wada, Olawade, Asogbon, Makinde, & Adebayo, 2021). The National Housing Policy of 1991 had the target of housing for all in the year 2000, but this was not achieved. As of 2020, Nigeria is projected to have a 20 million housing deficit, up by 3 million from the 17 million deficits in 2017 (Ebekozien, 2020). This policy was developed without recourse to gender disparity in access to land, capital, and NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY other forms of empowerment. Ever since the failure of this policy, no expansion or revision has been done neither has there been a replacement to cater to the needs of disadvantaged women for decent shelter. Policy Statement Ensuring affordable and decent housing for the poor, women and other vulnerable groups and remove all forms of discriminations in access to decent and affordable housing for All. Objectives i. Develop appropriate gender-responsive strategies for the implementation of the National Housing Policy ii. Eliminate all barriers to house ownership for women, people with disability, and other vulnerable groups in line with GEESI frameworks iii. Incorporate women participation into the implementation of the National Housing Policy Targets i. A National Housing Plan that is beneficial to women, and the vulnerable groups ii. Appointment of women into planning and implementation committees on National Housing Plan iii. Removal of all obstacles against women, and people with disability, widows, and other vulnerable groups to own houses. Strategies i. Engender the National Housing Policy ii. Adopt a gender responsive budgeting and funding for the implementation of the National Housing Plan iii. Intentional single digit interest rate and other favourable mortgage terms for women and other vulnerable groups to remove barriers to accessing housing loans iv. Removal of all collateral barriers against women in accessing housing loans v. Advocacy to traditional institutions/state governments to facilitate land ownership for women vi. Incorporate GEESI-disaggregated data for beneficiary assessment to ensure equitable access to housing loans and allocations. vii. Incorporation of traditional/community leaders into the implementation of the National Housing Plan viii. Formation and funding of women’s housing cooperatives ix. Collaboration with state governments to facilitate land titles to women regardless of marital status. x. Advocacy to state government/LGA on land ownership by women/girl-child inheritance. xi. Women should be involved in monitoring and evaluation of funding voted for national housing policy for transparency, accountability and value for money. 3.4.3. Gender, Environment and Climate Change Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Climate change – a major shock – would impact men and women in different ways as they may not have access to the necessary tools and support to ensure that their livelihoods are NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY sustainable. Strategies to prepare for escalating impacts of climate variability and change that do not account for the cultural and socio-economic differences among men and women will simply fall short of addressing the needs or incorporating the knowledge, of all those who are likely to be affected. Research on the gender implications of climate change is only just emerging. However, disaster management research shows that women are more vulnerable than men to weather- related disasters. Also, in the wake of disasters, it has been found that women and men farmers possess distinct knowledge which contributes to recovery, and when outside assistance explicitly targets women as well as men, it tends to be more successful. Environmental conditions such as deforestation, soil degradation, and watershed reduction affect women and men differently, given their different roles and relative decision-making power. Women’s involvement in, and reliance on, livelihoods activities that depend directly on the environment make them and their livelihoods particularly, vulnerable to the risks posed by environmental degradation and resource depletion in terms of deteriorating health, limited access to resources, and poorer quality of life Policy Statement Engender environmental protection and natural resource conservation and management for sustainable development. Objectives i. Involve women in decision-making on environment at all levels ii. Integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable environment iii. Strengthen and/or establish mechanisms at all levels to assess the impact of environmental policies on women and the vulnerable groups. Targets i. Integration of gender and social inclusion principles into the workplan of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other agencies to tackle the vulnerabilities of women and other vulnerable groups during emergencies caused by natural and artificial disasters ii. Involvement of women in decision-making in environment/climate change sector Strategies i. Advocating for and support to programmes that mitigate impact of climate change on women and the vulnerable groups ii. Building the capacity of women and the vulnerable groups in the appropriate use of the eco-system including green farming iii. Improving women’s access to information and communication strategies on climate change resilience iv. Assess the level of environmental damage on women and the vulnerable groups, and design/implement restoration and rejuvenation measures 3.4.4. Media Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns The mainstream media is driven by business interest managed by men who have more financial leverage than women, and who may not realise the consequences of programming NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY that "objectivise" women. Thus, over time, the media has fallen short of promoting gender- responsive coverage that can contribute to women's socio-economic and political advancement. Women are generally excluded from the media sector because of lack of funding and the patriarchal nature of the society; rather than the lack of technical competence among women. Thus, there are very few women editors in the newsroom. The Nigerian Women Journalists (NAWOJ) platform is committed to checking this trend in an uphill task. Presently, there exists no daily newspaper owned by a woman in Nigeria (Nwankwo & Agu, 2018), while there are very few women radios stations. Beyond ownership, very few women hold leadership positions in media houses in Nigeria as well. The home movie industry in Nigeria, Nollywood, is Africa's largest movie industry, and is only next to India's Bollywood in the global ranking, producing about 200 videos per month, and grossing USD 250 million annually (Simona, 2021). It has the potential to serve as an avenue for engendering positive change and positive gender values against the backdrop of prevailing negative cultural and societal norms, standards, and practices. However, the entertainment media in Nigeria is oftentimes an unfiltered platform that appears to provide ready medium for programming, messages, adverts, music, movies, and also entertainment that denigrate women and womanhood. Policy Statement Gender-responsive media coverage and representation that contributes positively to overall women’s socio-economic and political advancement. Objectives i. Mainstream gender and social inclusion frameworks into existing media/information policies ii. Promote positive coverage that enhances women’s value in the media iii. Promote women’s participation in ownership and leadership position in media houses iv. Close the gender gaps in media houses (e.g. in terms of ownership, employment, and distribution in senior media positions). Targets i. Establishment of self-regulatory mechanisms to ensure that the music, film, and advertising in media houses are gender-sensitive and respectful of women and people with disability ii. A 50% Affirmative Action for women in leadership positions in government-owned media houses iii. Incorporation of gender training into the curriculum of media education iv. Elimination of sexist and gender-biased media language v. Ensure a proper articulation and adequate reportage of issues that affect women in all ramifications. Strategies i. Engendering of media/information policies and programmes ii. Facilitation of equal access of women and men to information, freedom of expression and media coverage iii. Campaign against and eliminate gender-biased media language iv. Adoption of GEESI disaggregated data in media reporting to ensure balanced coverage v. Instituting appropriate machinery for media education and for censoring media information that portrays women negatively. vi. Provision of financial and logistic supports for women to establish media houses NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY vii. Strengthening of the capacity of media houses and investigative journalists for gender mainstreaming through continuous training viii. Appointment of Gender/Inclusion Desk Officers in all newsrooms of all media houses, including electronics, ratio, TV, print or mechanisations. ix. Implementation of appropriate sanctions for negative coverage of women, widows, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups by media including the social media. x. Campaigns on GEESI values on social media 3.5. GEESI in the Security Sector Context The priority concerns for promoting gender equity/equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion in the security sector are categorised into three thematic areas as listed below: i. Security Institutions (Armed Forces (Army/Navy/Airforce), the Police, Civil Defence, State Security Services, etc.) ii. Counterinsurgency, Conflict and Peacekeeping iii. Management of Complex Humanitarian Emergencies 3. 5. 1. GEESI in the Security Institutions Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns The integration of gender issues into security sector is now recognised as key to operational effectiveness and institutional credibility. For example, increasing the recruitment of female staff, preventing human rights violations, and collaborating with women ‘s organisations, create an efficient, accountable and participatory security agency, which respond to the specific needs of men, women, girls and boys. Mainstreaming gender into the security sector also involves identifying/assessing the different insecurities faced by men, women, girls, and boys. Mainstreaming gender perspectives into security institutions is vital on a number of grounds: ensures conformity with globally accepted human rights principles; demonstrates improved outcomes when men and women are part of decision-making processes; and enhances operational effectiveness (Amadi & Amadi, 2015). Policy Statement Strengthened Security Institutions’ policy and legal frameworks, operational structures, and command mechanisms for gender responsiveness. Objectives i. Integrate Gender Perspectives into Security Sector Reform in Nigeria ii. Strengthen the capacity of the security agencies to implement GEESI agenda iii. Promote collaboration and partnership between security institutions and relevant stakeholders to advance GEESI agenda. iv. Prosecute and penalise perpetrators of SGBV both in times of war or peace. Targets i. Domesticate the National Gender Policy across the Nigeria Security sector institutions. ii. Appropriate legal /policy framework is developed for the institutionalisation of the GEESI agenda in all security institutions NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY iii. Domestication of UNSCR 1325 into security sector reforms in all security institutions and adoption of the national action plan iv. The technical capacity of gender officers across all the Nigeria security institutions are built v. Women’s participation in conflict resolution and peacekeeping is enhanced. vi. Ensure the institutionalisation of gender responsive budgeting in the security sector. Strategies i. Building technical capacity for Gender Mainstreaming across security sector institutions ii. Development of a GEESI disaggregated data bank for strategic data analysis for policymaking, planning, and performance indicators iii. Review of existing regulations in line with the principles of GEESI as stated in relevant global, regional and national instruments for the purpose of repealing all discriminatory clauses. iv. Training and continuous development to enhance understanding of gender issues and professional competence for gender mainstreaming for gender desk officers in all security institutions v. Incorporating gender issues and gender mainstreaming strategies into existing training manuals/curricula of all security institutions vi. Enhance professional competence of gender desk officers through training on the use of gender-sensitive indicators and sex-disaggregated data for gender mainstreaming and M&E vii. Train members in the use of gender-sensitive budget as tool of gender mainstreaming in the security sector. viii. Document and show-case the experiences of outstanding women and girls’ contributions to conflict resolution and peace building ix. Create more favourable conditions for women working in the security sector x. Mobilising resources to support more women to participate in early warning and early response (EWER) in communities xi. Strengthening women’s roles and contribution in conflict resolution through capacity building xii. Promote collaboration among government and CSOs to undertake capacity building at community level for women and youth groups on peace building and EWER 3.5.2. Counter - Insurgency, Conflict and Peace Keeping Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns The intractable conflicts that have been ravaging many parts of Nigeria since the return to democratic rule have taken a heavy toll on women and girls especially those in the rural and semi-urban areas of the country. Women and girls have been subjected to unimaginable hardships, deprivations, violence, loss of lives and livelihood, sexual violence, denial of right to education, displacement, among others. Among the ongoing conflicts and security challenges are the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen conflicts in farming communities, militancy in the Niger-Delta and separatist movements in South- Eastern Nigeria. Boko Haram incessant attacks in the North-East have resulted in loss of lives, massive displacement and unprecedented hardship for women in the region. Women, girls, and boys have been forcefully abducted and conscripted to become suicide bombers, labourers, informants, and sex slaves. The increasing insecurity, especially the abduction of girls from schools has forced many states in the North-East to close down schools thereby NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY exacerbated the crisis of out of school children in the region. Patriarchal norms, the lack of a solid legal framework, increased militarisation and marginalisation of women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution processes pose obstacles to implementing the women, peace, and security agenda. Policy Statement: Human rights and GEESI principles are mainstreamed into counter-insurgency operations to protect women, girls, boys, persons with disabilities, the aged and other vulnerable groups. Objectives i. Eliminate all types of human rights/gender abuses during counter-insurgency operations ii. Ensure compliance to all human rights laws during counter-insurgency operations iii. Promote active participation of women in peace-building Targets i. Signing and ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. ii. Domestication of all relevant international humanitarian laws into counter-insurgency operations and develop strategies to implement them i. Improved, and effective accountability mechanisms and access to justice for survivors of any form of serious human rights abuses (in particular SGBV cases); and ensure transparency regarding investigations and/or prosecutions undertaken, including their outcomes. iii. Amendment of the counter-terrorism legislation to ensure everyone detained is promptly charged with an offense or released iv. Revision of the National Peace Policy (NPP) to incorporate provisions of NAP, UNSCR 1325 1820, 2250 Strategies i. Advocacy activities directed at policy makers and security agencies on policies and laws addressing issues related to SGBV against girls and women in conflict zones ii. Build the technical capacity of security agents, women and youths on frameworks for achieving the objectives of UNSCR 1325 and UNSCR 2250 on peace and security iii. Engender frameworks for working with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) iv. Strengthen women’s roles and contribution in conflict resolution through capacity building v. Promote collaboration among government and CSOs to undertake capacity building at community level for women and youth groups on peace building and EWER 3.5.3. Management of Complex Humanitarian Emergencies Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns According to the estimate from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), there are over 2.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North-Eastern Nigeria (Mashi & Thelma). Borno State alone is estimated to have over 1.4 million of IDPs in Nigeria (UN Special Rapporteur). A complex and highly volatile security situation, such as in North-eastern Nigeria, makes day-to-day operations challenging and requires quick NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY adaptation. The additional considerations for operating in such environments can overshadow other critical actions necessary for ensuring social inclusion – gender, disability inclusion, and vulnerability targeting as well as engaging and empowering communities to participate and drive social accountability. Women are seldom represented in disaster management decision-making bodies and their needs and interests are rarely addressed. Their access to early-warning systems is also often minimal. Studies have shown that natural disasters and their subsequent impact, on average, do more harm to women than men. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is increasingly working from a participatory perspective with women in affected flashpoint locations through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. The publication of the National Action Plan to support women’s role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding provides a guide to building lasting peace. Inter-religious roundtables led by women in conflict communities show that women are a key resource for diffusing conflict and for its transformation to peace (Nwosu, 2020). Policy Statement Adoption and mainstreaming of a gender-responsive disaster management system in Nigeria and engendering the National Disaster Management Framework. Objectives i. Incorporate principles of GEESI into the management of complex humanitarian emergencies in Nigeria ii. Strengthen the capacity of NEMA and other emergency management agencies on mainstreaming GEESI into management of complex humanitarian emergencies iii. Ensure adequate and accessible humanitarian services for all vulnerable groups (women, aged, children and Persons with Disabilities) during complex emergencies. iv. Leverage the full potential of women’s human and natural assets and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Targets: i. Gender mainstreaming of the Disaster preparedness plans in Nigeria, built on the principle of inclusivity ii. Adoption of a rights-based approach by all humanitarian partners to their work, informed by the human rights principles and standards codified in the UN Conventions on the rights of women and people with disabilities. iii. Capacity development on social inclusion principles for humanitarian services incorporated into NEMA and other humanitarian delivery organisations’ induction training packages for staff members iv. Incorporating gender and disability data as part of management of complex humanitarian emergencies. v. Support Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria to develop academic programmes in Gender, Humanitarian and Development Studies. Strategies i. Building awareness amongst decision makers, caregivers and civil servants regarding inclusive approaches, including the need for equitable access to public spaces by vulnerable people during complex humanitarian emergencies ii. Raising awareness and increasing the understanding and acceptance of gender equality and protection issues amongst humanitarian actors. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY iii. Facilitating the participation of women and persons with disabilities in mainstream humanitarian programmes, to ensure a more inclusive programming in the sector iv. Strengthening collaboration between mainstream INGOs and women focused and disability specific agencies, for a mutual learning exchange to contribute to more effective and inclusive aid delivery. v. Ensure accurate and adequate use of gender statistics and gender-disaggregated data for programming and provision of services to promote equitable access for women, aged, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. vi. Promote active participation of representatives of vulnerable groups in service delivery during emergencies. vii. Build capacity of humanitarian agencies to undertake regular gender-responsive needs-assessment surveys for effective service delivery during humanitarian emergencies. viii. Adequate funding to assist humanitarian actors and communities affected by conflicts, natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies to coordinate, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate essential actions for gender mainstreaming and social inclusion across all sectors. ix. Development of academic programmes in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions in the area of Gender, Humanitarian and Development Studies. 3.6. GEESI in Access to Justice, Human Rights and Governance Context The priority areas of concern for promoting gender equity/equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion in access to justice, human rights, and governance are enumerated below: i. Need for a gender responsive Nigerian Justice System ii. Human and Women’s Rights iii. Accountability, transparency, and openness in governance for a gender responsive development 3.6.1. A Gender Responsive Nigerian Justice System Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Gender gaps in the Nigerian laws and policy frameworks continue to persist. The Nigerian constitution and its elements are replete with contradictory provisions to the CEDAW treaty obligations, which makes it difficult for signatory governments (including Nigeria) to create an enabling environment for GEESI. Nigeria’s Federal structure, which establishes a three- tiered system of governance at the national, state, and local levels, imposes constraints on the implementation/domestication of Federal laws at state and local levels. Gender injustice within the Nigerian justice system (whether from the Police, Courts, or Prisons) is further exacerbated by various forms of abuse of power, arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention, unfair denial of bail, delay in the prosecution of accused, extra-judicial executions, torture, prisons congestion, criminal punishment without fair trial, discrimination, among other ills (Malemi, 2010). The multi-ethno-religious-cultural character of the Federation coupled with its tripartite systems of law and administration of justice makes it difficult to checkmate gender discriminatory customary laws. Policy Statement NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Incorporating GEESI principles into the Nigeria Tripartite legal systems to ensure justice for all people without discrimination. Objectives i. Integrate gender principles into the Nigerian Tripartite legal system ii. Abolish all discriminatory customary and religious practices which negatively affect women and girls, persons with disabilities, widows and other vulnerable groups iii. Promote reforms of justice system from a gender perspective across all levels in line with international best practices Targets: i. Review of existing GEESI issues within the Tripartite Judicial system ii. Review of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) from a gender perspective iii. Reform the judicial system through the implementation of provisions of compensation, damages, and restitution to victims of gender-based violence and social discrimination iv. Implement effective system of administration of non-custodial measures including rehabilitation, reformation and social reintegration at federal and state levels for minors, nursing mothers, pregnant women, and people with disability to ensure decongestion of correctional facilities. v. Restructure the Federal Character Commission into an Equal Opportunity Commission, as this would give equal consideration to women, men, aged, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. vi. Enactment of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill of 2016 Strategies i. Advocacy to local and state governments, traditional institutions to eradicate harmful practices affecting women, girls and people with disability ii. Mainstream gender issues into educational curricula across levels - primary, secondary and tertiary levels. iii. Build the capacity of community policing for proper understanding and engagement with gender issues at the community level, especially harmful traditional practices iv. Integrate gender issues into judicial administration of customary courts and ensure adequate gender training for judicial officers v. Enhance the gender mainstreaming capacity of institutions whose duty it is to foster and/or engender compliance: ICPC, EFCC, NOA, Police, Customs, Judiciary, Prisons, NAFDAC, Immigrations, etc. through continuous training vi. Incorporate GEESI principles into the training manuals of legal institutions vii. Lobby for the enactment of the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill of 2016 3.6.2. Human and Women’s Rights Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns A gender analysis of Nigeria’s local laws and policies affirms that some legal instruments are discriminatory, and at best, gender blind. Ranging from the constitution to the criminal and penal codes, local edicts to customary laws, women’s rights have been systematically undermined. Violations of women’s rights are further complicated by the existence of three legal systems—English Law, Customary Law and Sharia Law. Most international treaties, particularly those that relate to gender issues are yet to be domesticated and incorporated into NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY the laws of the Federation. The national outcry over sexual violence and assault on women, men and girls in spaces where they traditionally should be considered safe, has been the subject of public debates in recent years. These violations of the bodily integrity of persons continue to occur locally, nationally and trans-border in all social spaces. This can be seen from the content of media reports, court judgments, police reports, national and global movements such as the #EndWarOnNigerianWomen, #MeToo and #TimeUp. If sex offence transcends borders, then it will require collaboration across locations and sectors and other means to aid the law. Nigeria continues to face challenges in the following priority areas: protection against gender-based violence, elimination of harmful traditional practices (such as Female Genital Mutilation - FGM; and child marriage among others); sexual and reproductive rights; education of the girl child; a fair balance of responsibility for unpaid care work between women and men; and participation in decision-making processes, including political participation among others Policy Statement Creating a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, rights and obligations including freedom from discrimination. Objectives i. Promote respect for human/women’s rights and principles and the entrenchment of a gender equality culture in the Nigerian society. ii. Ensuring that public policies, plans, processes and operations are gender responsive iii. Enhance the passage of laws and policies that enable increased participation of women in public life iv. Institutionalise and mainstream gender equality, women’s rights and social inclusion frameworks in governance, institutions and social life Targets i. Review and repeal all gender discriminatory laws and policies at National, Subnational and Institutional levels ii. Amendment of the constitution, criminal code, penal code, and other laws to deal with gender discriminatory provisions iii. Amendment of section 14 (3) of Federal character provision through the enactment of an equal opportunity law and making gender one of the indices of equality and/or opportunities iv. Gender audit of laws and policies to ensure their gender responsiveness and compliance to equity principles Strategies i. Advocacy for the domestication of outstanding international instruments on GEESI e.g., CEDAW and its protocols ii. Abolition of all obnoxious customary and religious practices affecting women and girls iii. Harmonization of gender equity issues within the Nigerian tripartite legal system iv. Strengthening collaboration and partnership among relevant stakeholders in implementing the NGP. v. Adoption of GRB at national / sub-national and institutional levels to ensure mainstreaming of gender issues into resource allocation NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY vi. Provision of equitable opportunities for women and men to access and enjoy public services particularly; education, health, portable water, sanitation, housing and transportation vii. Promotion of equitable access of women and men to critical resources (capital, labour, land, technology, and entrepreneurial skills) through special initiatives that reduce the number of citizens in core poverty group particularly women. viii. Strengthening the culture of respect for the human rights of women and men, including freedoms of expression, movement and association, as well as the elimination of all negative stereotypical representation of women and girls. ix. Facilitating the strengthening of mechanisms for enforcing laws that regulate and penalise gender discriminatory practices x. Improving access to social services by children, women, and the marginalised groups (OVCs, elderly, and those with disabilities among others). 3.6.3. Accountability, Transparency and Openness in Governance for a Gender Responsive Development Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns The Open Government Partnership presented an opportunity for government and citizens to collaborate to make progress and drive development in the country. The anti-corruption mantra gave room for collaboration, especially when policies like Bank Verification Number (BVN), Whistle-blower, Treasury Single Account, etc. need the cooperation of the citizenry to work. No doubt, the honest approach/steps taken by the government were applauded and changes were noticed in some key sectors due to the introduction of these policies. The National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) launched in 2017 lacks a clear diagnosis of Nigeria's corruption crisis and does not provide a coherent direction or set of interventions. The leadership of the major anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria has themselves come under serious questions. Corruption, poor service delivery, infrastructural deficit, marginalisation in politics are some of the negative impacts of absence of transparency and accountability in governance. The National Gender Policy Situation Analysis Report (2021) has identified women and persons with disability, and other vulnerable groups in Nigeria, as being adversely affected by bad governance. Policy Statement Promoting open and gender inclusive government framework with active participation of women and other vulnerable groups to reduce poverty, inequality, corruption, human rights violations, and poor service delivery. Objectives i. Promote citizens’ participation in governance, especially women and other vulnerable groups ii. Promote collaboration between agencies of government working to eradicate corruption, especially those imparting on the welfare of women, children and the vulnerable groups iii. Ensure implementation of Freedom of Information Bill to enable women and the vulnerable groups have access to information on governance and other issues that relate to their welfare NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY iv. Promote gender equity in access to and the use of ICT facilities and devices to strengthen accountability in governance, in particular, as this affects gender and social inclusion issues Targets: i. Expand the scope of coverage of OGP into gender issues and social inclusion ii. Ensure that gender and social inclusion issues are captured in E-governance across MDAs, with the right technical capacity by all State Actors iii. Provide the necessary support for women, poor, aged and other vulnerable groups to have affordable ICT devices iv. Ensure equal access of women and men to freedom of information and media coverage. Strategies i. Working with ICT companies to develop software in local languages that address issues of gender equality and social inclusion ii. Promote transaction of government’s business online, and ensure that women and other vulnerable groups have access to greater opportunities with the click of a burton. iii. Advocacy to encourage many states to join the OGP initiative iv. Regular updating of gender and social inclusion issues and intervention activities on government official websites v. Promote regular dialogue, debate and discussion of GEESI issues on social media platforms vi. Strengthening the capacity of CSOs on digital activism and promote collaboration among women networks to facilitate it vii. Promote development of gender statistics and sex-disaggregated data in national data banks and ensure the use of such data for policy and planning for national development viii. Deploy necessary mechanisms to protect women, girls and other vulnerable groups from online harassment, bullying and hate speech 3.7. GEESI, Leadership and Political Participation Context The priority areas of concern for promoting gender equity/equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion in leadership and political participation are: i. GEESI and the Nigerian Political System and Structures ii. GEESI and the Electoral System iii. GEESI and Community Level Leadership 3.7.1. GEESI and the Nigerian Political System and Structures Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Women make up only 4.5% of the National Assembly (Bashir, 2020). Structural factors inhibit the participation of women in politics and unless these factors are addressed, any effort geared towards improving the participation of women in governance will be futile. There are at present about 18 registered political parties in Nigeria, with only a few referring to gender equality and women empowerment agenda in their manifestoes. Women are not NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY given prominent position in political party structures and there is weak commitment to gender equality in elective representation. Within party structures, very little attention has been given to GEESI principles. For example, political parties are formed and managed on male fraternal connections and relationships. Policy Statement Incorporate GEESI principles into the Nigerian political system and structures to enhance equitable representation of women in government, politics, business and technology, and decision-making. Objectives i. Mainstream gender and social inclusion frameworks into political parties manifestoes and political administrative structures. ii. Support an enable legislative environment to achieve gender equality and bridging gaps in political representation in elective positions at all electoral levels iii. Institutionalise and mainstream gender equity and social inclusion frameworks in governance, institutions and the political system Targets i. Adoption of the gender affirmative action of 50:50 parity in all elective and appointive positions, in line with the global and regional best practices. ii. Regulation of the political environment to reduce god-fatherism and monetized politics which are detrimental to women’s participation in politics and popular democracy iii. Compliance of all political parties in the country with the 50% Affirmative Action for women in leadership positions (elective and appointive) within political party system and in presenting candidates for political offices (e.g. political parties’ primary elections). iv. Enactment of relevant policy and legal frameworks to institutionalise GEESI principles into the Nigerian political system and structures v. Political parties to mainstream gender and social inclusion frameworks into party operations and administrative structures vi. Increase the number of women into appointive key positions in public life including the public and private institutions, corporations, board-rooms and at the community level. Strategies i. Strengthening capacity of political parties in mainstreaming gender and social inclusion frameworks into party operations and administrative structures ii. Supporting advocacy for increased women political representation and participation. iii. Continuous sensitization of women for political participation and representation. iv. Advocacy for the enactment of relevant policy and legal frameworks to institutionalise GEESI principles into the political system and structures. v. Mobilisation of funds to support women political aspirants at all levels. vi. Supporting CSOs in building women’s capacity for leadership positions in public and private institutions, including educational institutions, MDAs, and in the Industries. vii. Support collaboration and networking among women-focused NGOs working in the area of women political participation viii. Exploring the support of Development Partners in advancing women political participation and representation NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY ix. Providing financial/logistical supports to organisations and networks that promote women’s political participation and representation. 3.7.2. GEESI and the Electoral System Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Women’s electoral participation is often hindered by a variety of political, legal, social, economic, and cultural barriers and it is important for the electoral management body (EMB) to identify and address these within the particular country context. Such careful analysis, which can help advance the development of gender-friendly electoral processes and procedures, is best done in consultation with women’s groups and other relevant stakeholders. The national average of women’s political participation in Nigeria has remained 6.7 percent in elective and appointive positions, which is far below the global average of 22.5 percent; Africa regional average of 23.4 percent; and West African sub-regional average of 15 percent (Abutu & Abubakar). The Nigeria electoral processes are fraught with many challenges that negatively affect women’s political participation, in particular, the emergence of a political culture characterized by electoral violence, monetized politics, low political accountability, abuse and personalization of power, general apathy towards elections, and low participation of critical segments of the society, especially women (Akiyode-Afolabi, 2013). Policy Statement A transparent and inclusive electoral process, which integrates the concerns of women, persons with disabilities, the diaspora among others for enduring democratic governance Objectives i. Promote gender mainstreaming within INEC structures and processes ii. Support an enabling legislative environment to achieve gender equality and bridge gender gaps in political representation in elective posts at all electoral levels iii. Promote political environment that facilitates peaceful participation in the electoral process for women, youths, persons with disability and other vulnerable groups. Targets i. Adoption of special measures, quotas and mechanisms for achieving critical threshold of women and people with special needs in political offices, party organs and public life to bridge gender gaps in political representation in both elective and appointive posts at all levels. ii. Ensuring that INEC Gender Policy is fully implemented and legally binding on political parties iii. Effective gender mainstreaming within INEC to fulfil its democratic ideals iv. Secure political will to fully implement the provisions of the 2010 Electoral Act, most especially, the sections that promotes GEESI v. Deployment of technology to reduce incidence of rigging and electoral manipulation which often stand against the chances of women, youths, and other vulnerable groups in elections. Strategies i. Effective use of legislative and policy measures and mechanisms to bridge gender gaps in elective and appointive political positions in public life NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY ii. Adoption of gender parity principles as condition for political parties registration by INEC iii. Provision of technical support to political parties for gender mainstreaming iv. Development of gender sensitive indicators for gender equality accountability in public institutions, including political institutions v. Promote periodic review and assessment of political party structures and processes to ensure compliance with gender equality and social inclusion frameworks. vi. Enactment of legislation to enforce the implementation of the 50% Affirmative Action which ensures gender parity in public institutions. vii. Promotion of active participation of CSOs in the electoral system to ensure government and political parties’ accountabilities on GEESI. 3.7.3. GEESI and Community Level Leadership Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Community-based, civil society and faith-based organisations contribute significantly to the adoption of GEESI at the community level. These organisations are among the oldest providers of social and humanitarian assistance, with networks and resources reaching every corner of the globe. Patriarchy is a major feature of traditional Nigerian society (Aina, 1998). A major challenge in engaging with communities is that the traditional leaderships at the community level, are basically patriarchal and therefore characteristically operate as high- power distance relationships whereby women, are considered less powerful members within the community, firstly because of their gender, and secondly because the cultural norms disempower them politically and economically. Women in communities, therefore, become socialised from an early age to expect and accept as natural, that power is distributed unequally, with the men wielding most if not all of it. The socio-cultural norms regulating conduct in communities are often gendered, some women become conditioned to accept that these inequalities, including Violence against Women (VAW) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) are justifiable. Policy Statement Value re-orientation in local communities to promote gender justice, which ultimately translates to greater good for the entire community: men, women, boys and girls Objectives i. Transform gender power relations in local communities to promote economic justice, gender equity and social inclusion ii. Eliminate harmful traditional practices against women, girls and other vulnerable groups in the local communities iii. Enhance the role of women in peacebuilding in local communities and protect women, girls, and persons with disabilities from gender-based violence and conflicts Targets i. Domestication of the 2021National Gender Policy (NGP) and other GEESI policy instruments at the local government level. ii. Building the capacity of women in local communities, especially on economic empowerment and political participation iii. Involve women in community level governance. iv. Local government administration is equipped with the technical capacity to mainstream GEESI in all local government administration processes. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY v. Reduction of women and girls’ vulnerabilities to harmful traditional practices in local communities (including FGM, Child Marriage, harmful widowhood practices etc.) vi. Provision of equitable opportunities for women, girls and other vulnerable groups to access and enjoy community services, particularly; education, health, potable water, sanitation and transportation Strategies i. Advocacy and programme interventions for overhauling structures that sustain gender inequalities and social exclusion in the local communities ii. Education and sensitisation of all community stakeholders on the centrality of gender equity and social inclusion towards breaking the cycle of poverty in the family and the attainment of socio-economic development for all iii. Promote through public enlightenment adult education (for women and men) at the community level and provide necessary facilities/infrastructure for its facilitation iv. Engage in continuous sensitization programs to eradicate societal stigmatization of PWDs. v. Engage in continuous training of local government officials on GEESI issues. vi. Collaborate with traditional institutions at the community level on capacity building on GEESI issues vii. Support CSOs/NGOs/CBOs working at the community level to promote the GEESI agenda 3.8. GEESI, Gender Norms and Socio-cultural Practices The priority areas of concern in promoting gender equity/equality, women’s empowerment and social inclusion in socio-cultural practices are: i. The rights of the child ii. Harmful Traditional Practices against women and girls iii. Sexual/Gender-Based Violence iv. Men in the GEESI Agenda v. Transforming Local Level Governance 3.8.1. The ‘Girl Child’ Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Despite some progress made to adopt equality for all, gender inequality persists, and many girls, especially those from the poorest families, still face discrimination concerning basic education, child marriage and pregnancy, sexual violence (including FGM), and unrecognised domestic work. Girls are much more likely than boys to shoulder responsibility for household chores, which negatively impacts their ability to go to school. Human development outcomes for girls and women are worse in the North, where poverty levels are sometimes twice as high as parts of the South (72% in the North- East compared with 26% in the South-East and a national average of 54%) (Nwaoduh, 2016). Nearly half of all children under five are malnourished in the North-East, compared to 22% in the South- East (Khan & Cheri, 2016)Hausa girls, for example, are 35% less likely to go to school than Yoruba girls (Feyisetan & Pebley, 1989). The impact of inequality on the lives of girls and women is reflected starkly in health and education outcomes (Oladokun, Adenegan, & Olanike, 2017). NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Levels of gender violence are also high, notably in the South despite a relatively higher educational status of the girls in this zone. About 70.9% of young women aged 15-49 in the North-West are unable to read or write, compared to 20.4% in the South-East. Several reasons explain this: early marriage, early childbirth, and poor sanitation (Ataka, 2018). Among girls aged 10 to 14, certain groups are both particularly vulnerable and unlikely to access services. They include girls who marry at an early age, girls out of school, and girls who live apart. The worsening insecurity in the North has adversely affected girls’ education due to kidnapping and the attendant closure of schools. Many girls have been forcefully conscripted to become suicide bombers, spies, cooks, and wives to insurgent groups. Policy Statement Equal opportunities in all spheres of life for girls to thrive and reach their full potential Objectives i. Remove all barriers inhibiting the ability of girls to use their talents and capabilities for self-development; ii. Provide enabling environment for the education, health and well-being of the ‘girl child’ iii. Eliminate all harmful traditional practices that impede the development of girls iv. Mainstream the needs of girls into complex emergency management Targets i. Legislation against harmful traditional practices that impede the development of the ‘girl child’, such as child marriage, FGM, child labour, and women trafficking among others. ii. Integrating the voices and needs of women and girls into resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration, and post-conflict reconstruction programmes iii. Domestication and implementation of the VAPP law in all states iv. Development of the technical capacity of agencies working in disaster management sector to mainstream the needs of the ‘girl child’ and GEESI frameworks into disaster management plans and projects v. Promotion of innovative livelihood skills in trade and business for women, girls, and people with disabilities in local communities Strategies i. Advocacy to relevant stakeholders (including traditional, religious and other community leaders in the respective communities) to eliminate harmful traditional practices against the ‘girl child’ ii. Introduction of Gender Responsive Budgeting to target the needs of the ‘girl child’ across sectors - education, health, economic empowerment, humanitarian emergencies, disaster management, human trafficking, domestic labour, and street trading among others. iii. Support for the provision of safe spaces facilities in schools and local communities to reduce the scourge of SGBV; and the provision of psycho-social and trauma counselling to women and girls affected by SGBV and other types of violence iv. Enlightenment campaigns and advocacy in local communities on gender value re- orientation, and support for a gender responsive governance structures in local communities; and support for women/girls-focused empowerment programmes; v. Networking and support of local CBOs/CSOs (in particular, women organisations) working on the rights of girls. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY 3.8.2. The ‘Boy Child’ Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns The role of patriarchy in society reinforces the issue of gender inequality. A male child is often preferred to a female child by many ethnic groups in Nigeria. More value is placed on the male children because a female child is believed not to be in the best position to perpetuate the family name. Certain socio-cultural traditions also impacted negatively on the development of boys. For example, in some parts of the South-East, many families prefer the education of girls to that of boys, who usually prefer being enlisted for trading activities and vocational training. The education of the boy before now has never dominated public discourse, because males have always been viewed as more educationally advantageous than their female counterparts. However, the upsurge in insurgency activities and the closure of many schools in the North, which forced many boys out of school into the street has brought the issue of boy’s education into focus. Policy Statement Raise and nurture boys who are gender sensitive and responsive to gender equity needs, and in particular, the need to harness girls’ full potentials for national development. Objectives i. Bridge gender gaps in education, in particular, in such places where there is a drop in boys’ school enrolment ii. Protect the boy-child from insurgency and violence crime iii. Promote positive values and cultural orientation that uphold gender equality principles among boys Targets i. Achieve gender parity in education in places with low school enrolment for boys ii. Increased enrolment of boys in schools, in such troubled areas such as in the Southeast and the Northeast iii. Boys/girls are given education/training that is gender responsive and tolerant of gender equality principles iv. Entrepreneurship education is used to address low enrolment rates of boys and girls in schools Strategies i. Support for programmes that aim at improving the enrolment of boys in the South- East and the North-East ii. Support educational institutions to provide incentives that will enhance the education of boys especially in the South-East and the North-East iii. Use attitudinal and behaviour change programming to discourage enlistment of boys into insurgency, banditry, cultism and violent crime iv. Advocacy for the domestication and the enforcement of the Child-Rights Act in all states, v. Establish Gender and Peace champions among school boys and girls across Nigeria States vi. Creation of community safe spaces for boys and girls who are victims of SGBV NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY vii. Establish mentorship programmes for boys and girls in local communities, with a focus on GEESI programmes and concerns 3.8.3. Harmful Traditional Practices Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns In many cultures across the country, women lack inheritance rights and lack access to critical resources. Although Section 43 of the 1979 Constitution permits both male and female Nigerians to own and acquire movable property, a large proportion of women in Nigeria are denied the right to own land because of the customary laws of their ethnic group. Some customary practices in some societies in Nigeria do not recognise a woman's right to inherit her husband's property. Many widows become destitute after their husbands' death, especially when the in-laws decide to take over virtually all the property of the deceased. The widowhood rituals are traditional practices, which include mourning rituals and food taboos enforced on widows, inevitably expose them to economic hardship, confinement, and ill- treatment. Girls are married out early and sometimes against their will in a situation of forced marriage. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also called female circumcision or female genital cutting is an act that violates the right of women and girls, with adverse, far-reaching health, social and economic implications. Policy Statement Ensure that local norms and values are in consonant with the principles of GEESI and legislate to abolish all harmful traditional practices that do not promote socio-economic well- being and dignity of women and girls Objectives i. Eradicate all harmful traditional practices against women and persons with disabilities ii. Promote positive socio-cultural orientation/values on women and persons with disabilities iii. Promote educational advancement and economic empowerment of women and persons with physical disabilities Targets: i. Enforcement of legislations against harmful traditional practices (widowhood, early- child marriage, FGM) at the federal and state levels; ii. Implementation of the 2021 National Gender Policy at the Local Government and community levels iii. Build the capacity of Local Government administration to mainstream GEESI into local governance and all community development engagements. Strategies 1. Advocacy to traditional institutions and religious/opinion leaders on the eradication of harmful traditional practices against women and girls; 2. Retraining and support for TBAs involved in the practice of FGM/C in alternative livelihood options 3. Enlist the support of mass and social media to campaign against harmful traditional practices against women and girls in local communities 4. Support economic empowerment schemes (like vocational training and business grants) for women, persons with disabilities, widows, and other vulnerable groups. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY 3.8.4. Sexual/Gender-Based Violence Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Sexual/Gender-Based Violence is one of the physical consequences of the economic, social, political, and cultural inequalities that exist between men and women. It is perpetuated by cultural systems that have historically discriminated against women. Data continue to highlight women's and girls' vulnerability to gender-based violence and negative social norms which support gender-based violence. The Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) had been passed into law but has only been domesticated in 22 states out of 36 states in the country (Ekhator, 2019). The CEDAW bill, which has been renamed the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, remains unpassed. Amidst COVID 19 pandemic in Nigeria, there was an unprecedented increase in the levels of SGBV in the country. Emerging data in the country shows that since the outbreak of COVID- 19, violence against women and girls (VAWG), and particularly domestic violence, which includes economic, emotional and physical violence, has intensified. There has also been an increase in rape cases across the country. Statistics from the NDHS show that in Nigeria, among women age 15-49, (31%) have experienced physical violence and 9% have experienced sexual violence, 6% of women have experienced physical violence during pregnancy (Owoo, 2020). 36% of ever-married women have experienced spousal physical, sexual, or emotional violence (Owoo, 2020). The prevalence of one or more of these forms of spousal violence was higher in 2018 (31%) than in 2013 (25%) (Solanke, Bisiriyu, & Oyedokun, 2018). Although the culture of silence is broken piece by piece due to several enlightenment programs carried out by CSOs to raise awareness on the laws that exist. Some survivors of rape or sexual harassment still do not report the attack due to the fear of stigma reprisal attacks and cultural norms. Sometimes, it is the survivor's family that shuts them up to “avoid bringing shame to the family. Policy Statement Effective gender-based violence response which supports survivors to get the care and support needed; and an environment which supports dignity and safety of women, men, girls and boys. Objectives i. Strengthen relevant legal provisions against sexual and gender-based violence ii. Promote awareness of the negative impacts of sexual and gender-based violence iii. Punish and penalise perpetrators of perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence iv. Strengthen the response mechanisms to sexual and gender-based violence Targets: i. Domestication of VAPP in all states ii. Introduction of stiffer penalties and sanctions to deter potential VAPP offenders. iii. Build the capacity of law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution of SGBV/VAW cases. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY iv. Establish efficient database management systems for victims of SGBV. v. Upgrade Infrastructural facilities to assist in the prosecution of SGBV cases (e.g. use of forensic evidence). vi. Establish sexual-offenders register to monitor potential threats from previous sexual- offenders vii. Regular review of all the relevant laws on SGBV to identify gaps in legal provisions Strategies i. Engage in continuous sensitization and awareness to discourage stigmatization of SGBV victims. ii. Advocacy to traditional institutions and relevant stakeholders in the community on SGBV/VAW eradication iii. Provide adequate funding to supporting services such as medical and psychosocial care for victims of SGBV iv. Strengthen networks of NGO coalitions and Development Partners working on SGBV for effective response 3.8.5. Men in the GEESI Agenda Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Gender equality cannot be achieved by women alone or by focusing exclusively on women. Gender equality concerns both women and men and requires the involvement of men as well as women. One of the reasons for the slow progress in achieving equality between women and men has been the lack of male involvement at all levels and lack of awareness among the men on these issues. Situation analysis shows that men predominantly occupy positions of authority and leadership of traditional and religious institutions in communities across Nigeria. They form the hierarchy as decision-makers, opinion leaders, and “gatekeepers” of their various communities. Any mechanism for effective engagement with the community must engage these categories of stakeholders and re-educate them to appreciate that gender is about justice. Men’s active support for gender equality has taken a variety of forms, including advocacy, alliances, campaigns, and educational programs for young men. Men’s advocacy and action on male violence against women have included networks of men who challenge existing stereotypes and men’s roles in relationships. Although, it seems more men are becoming better educated and aware of gender issues, however, more efforts are required to get other men on board to work together to redefine the norms, language, laws, incentives, and behaviours that fuel inequality. Policy Statement Partner and work with men to achieve a gender sensitive and a gender responsive Nigeria Society Objectives i. Promote active participation of men for effective response to GEESI agenda ii. Value re-orientation of men on gender role relations (i.e. adoption of gender equity and social inclusion principles and practices in both public and private spheres of life) iii. Create an enabling environment for men champions on GEESI agenda Targets NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY i. More men support GEESI values and orientations and drive GEESI Agenda and interest across the nation ii. The technical capacity of men (opinion/strategic leaders) are built to facilitate gender value re-orientation and to challenge harmful patriarchal values across ethnic groups in Nigeria iii. Provision of capacity building for men-led CSOs that focus on gender and social inclusion issues. Strategies i. Enlist the support of men opinion/strategic leaders in promoting the GEESI agenda ii. Work with traditional/community/religious and other male opinion leaders in entrenching the GEESI Agenda at the grassroots iii. Organising gender training for men opinion/strategic leaders for value reorientation on gender issues iv. Identify and work with men champions as strategic leaders in the promotion of the GEESI Agenda in local communities v. Affirm men who speak up for women 3.8.6. Transforming Local Level Governance Situation Analysis and Policy Concerns Community-level response and institutional mechanisms supporting GEESI are needed to better understand and eliminate structural barriers to gender equality. This would assess social institutions holistically by looking at discriminatory social norms and practices. In Nigeria, the local government is called the government at the grass-root due to its proximity to the people. The local government can promote gender equality and social inclusion at the community level. by preventing violence against women and girls and harmful practices by creating awareness in the community on these acts. They can also identify women and girls affected by violence and provide them with the appropriate support and services to rebuild their lives. LGAs can also promote the GEESI policy's acceptance by making local policies that protect and promote the advancement of women’s rights and social inclusion. Policy Statement Mainstream gender perspective into local legislations, policies, and planning to achieve gender equity and social inclusion in economic, social, political and cultural life of the Nigerian people, at the grassroots. Objectives i. Mainstream the GEESI Agenda in Local Government and Governance frameworks; ii. Strengthen technical capacity at the Local Government Level for the implementation of the GEESI Agenda iii. Introduce Gender Responsive Budgeting at the Local Government level to support the implementation of the GEESI Agenda at this level iv. Promote women’s participation in the Local Government governance structures Targets i. Domesticate the 2021NGP and other GEESI policy instruments at the local government level. ii. Increasing the representation of women in Local Government decision-making processes; NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY iii. Local Governments to mainstream GEESI into local legislations, policies, and planning. iv. Provision of vocational training and business grants to women, people with disability, widows, and other vulnerable groups in local communities to improve quality of life of households and families. v. Institutionalising gender-responsive budgeting framework to support GEESI agenda at the local government level Strategies i. Enlisting the support of CSOs/CBOs and Development Partners to fund GEESI projects/programmes at the Local Government Level ii. Support to community-based groups (e.g. cooperatives and credit supports) engaged in economic empowerment programmes for women and the vulnerable groups. iii. Provision of leadership training for women at the grassroots to enable their participation in community governance and politics iv. Advocacy campaigns against harmful traditional practices that undermine GEESI principles at the grassroots v. Working with traditional institutions and religious leaders in local communities to support the GEESI agenda. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY SECTION

SECTION 4: INSTITUTIONAL AND IMPLEMENTATION FOUR FRAMEWORKS & DELIVERY STRATEGIES FOR THE POLICY 4.0. Introduction This section presents a clear guidance on the institutionalisation, implementation and delivery strategies for the policy. More elaborately, these three themes are further explored in a separate document which complements the analytical framework described in the policy, that is the ‘National Gender Policy Strategic Implementation Framework and Plan’. 4.1. Institutional Framework for the Policy 4.1.1. The National Gender Machinery National machineries are the primary institutional vehicles for the implementation of the strategic objectives contained in this policy. The National Machinery is a coordinating entity, charged with the responsibility of achieving the constitutional and international commitments to gender equality, human rights, and social justice propelled by the National Gender Policy. With consideration that gender issues are multi-sectoral and cut across sectors, it is imperative that inter-agency FMWA is charged with the and inter-institutional linkages are promoted. Hence, the role of facilitating service Institutional Framework for the implementation of the and performance for National Gender Policy comprises macro and micro- level structures, and in particular institutions within and women and their outside government, with the aim of achieving equity communities across all for women, men, boys, girls, and other vulnerable MDAs and the private groups in the society. sector 4.1.2. Structure, Roles and Responsibilities of Gender Machinery a. Public Sector Gender Machinery i. Federal/State Executive Council (s) At the top of the gender equality institutional framework are the Federal/State Executive Council(s), which set national/state policy goals and targets, and in particular, makes overarching policy pronouncements on gender equality and women empowerment. The functions of the National/State Executive Council(s) (NEC/SEC) in instituting women empowerment and gender equality goals and objectives are to – ● Provide political will for the adoption of the National/State Gender Policy ● Mainstream gender into the general functions of NEC/SEC ● Make GEESI one of the pillars of National/State Development Plans and Priorities ● Eliminate use of sexist language and nuances in the discourse of the NEC/SEC ● Domesticate the National/State Gender Policy at sectoral level ● Give budgetary commitment to the implementation of the National/State Gender Policy ● Adopt a system-wide response to Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) ● National/State Commitment to Gender Education ● National/State Commitment to gender responsive legislation, law, policy reviews and treat gender mainstreaming as a core value in governance. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY ii. Ministry of Women Affairs Federal Ministry of Women Affairs came into existence through the upgrading of the National Commission for Women to a full-fledged Ministry in 1995. By the establishment of the Ministry, Nigeria had achieved one of the critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action. The Ministry was established to serve as the national policy coordinating and implementing vehicle interacting with state and non-state actors, to bring about speedy and healthy development of Nigerian Women, Children, the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and the Socially Disadvantaged and to work towards mainstreaming their rights and privileges in national development process. It is important that the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs be restructured to have a more robust institutional support for its mandate (see Box 4.1). In this respect, the following restructuring is necessary: ● Changing the name of the Ministry to Ministry for BOX 4.1. GEESI MACHINERY RE-ENGINEERING Women and Gender Affairs  Change the current name to Ministry of (or Ministry of Women, Women and Gender Affairs (or Ministry of Gender and Development) – to Women, Gender and Development) ensure that the Ministry balances  Gender Units/Gender Focal Points its mandates for both women established as a full-fledged Gender Unit or empowerment and gender located in the office of the Permanent equality issues from an inclusion Secretaries of all Ministries or equivalent lens (including those issues, Agencies with heads at least, at Assistant especially, in the area of social Directorate level protection, that are not presently  Under the new Ministry for Women and handled by the Ministry of Gender Affairs (or Women, Gender and Humanitarian Affairs). Development), establishment of the ● Creation of Specialised following departments are mandatory: Women Affairs; and Gender Affairs/Social Technical organs to enhance the Inclusion Departments among others. This is mandate of the Ministry on to enable various departments to take women, gender equality, and responsibilities, as appropriate, including social inclusion issues namely: women focused issues, gender o National Council on equality/equity issues, including Affirmative Gender Equality, Women Action and Quota systems; Gender and Social Inclusion Mainstreaming; capacity building in gender headed by an Executive statistics; gender analysis; gender budgeting, Secretary gender trade and procurement among o National Coordinating others. A Gender/Social Inclusion Committee on Gender Department will work on issues relating to Equality, Women and the socially excluded and all manners of vulnerabilities. Social Inclusion, comprising Technical Gender/Social Inclusion Experts from various fields; and o National Technical Team of Gender & Inclusion Experts from MDAs. ● Establishment of functional Gender Unit in all MDAs (to be headed by at least, an Assistant Director) and in the absence of a full-fledged Gender Unit, a Gender Focal NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Point located within the Permanent Secretary's office/or the office of the Director- General at the Agency level3. ● Sectoral Working Committees on Gender Equality coordinated by the Ministry of Women Affairs, to support gender mainstreaming and policy implementation efforts of the Private Sector, Civil Society Organisations, NGOs, and Community Groups. ● Strengthening of the National Centre for Women Development as the data and analytical arm of the FMWA; ● Strengthening the coordination role of the Ministry of Women Affairs in the area of production of National Gender Statistics (NGS); Annual Progress Reports on Gender Equality accountability (across sectors) submitted to the Ministry of Women Affairs; and sharing of Gender Equality Practices from States. ● Distinct and separate roles for Women Affairs; and Gender / Social Inclusion Affairs Departments (for example, while the Women Affairs Department deals with women- focused issues and initiatives; the Gender/Social Inclusion Affairs Department deals with gender/social inclusion as cross-cutting issues; coordinates, and ensures that other sectors key-into the gender mainstreaming initiatives. The Gender/Social Inclusion Affairs Department of the Ministry provides others with technical supports in the area of ‘gender mainstreaming’, and in the use of ‘gender analytical tools’ that could speed-up gender mainstreaming uptakes in other MDAs, and in the private sector organisations. ● The Ministry of Women Affairs in the 36 States shall respectively share similar roles and responsibilities. iii. Federal/State Line Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) At the Federal and the State levels, Line Ministries, the Legislature, the Judiciary and other organs of government shall be accountable for the implementation of the National Gender Policy, while also being responsible for the following general functions in their respective sectors: ● Accountability tracking ● Capacity building ● Institutional reforms (policy, statistics, legislation, curricula, sectoral institutionalisation of gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion issues) ● Budgeting and fundraising for GEESI work ● Local initiative and networking among others. Specific functions of the Line Ministries (both at the Federal/State levels) are – ● Reviewing all policies, projects, and programmes for their gender implication ● Mainstreaming gender into policies, programmes, and budgets ● Achieving policy targets at sectoral and sub-sectoral levels in line with their mandates and work domain ● Establishing a Gender Critical Mass with specific functions in the implementation strategy 3 A cue could be taken from some Nigerian Universities with both a Centre for Gender and Development Studies (i.e. which engages with direct gender programmes etc.); and a Gender Mainstreaming Unit in the Office of the Vice Chancellor (this unit, with leadership provided by the Vice Chancellor’s office takes responsibilities for gender mainstreaming across departments and units of the university; and engages with institutional accountability towards GEESI - both at the level of policy and practice). NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY b. Sectors and Proposed Gender Response Specific mandates are given to the respective institutions involved in the process of institutionalising gender into development frameworks in the country – public, private, and, civil society – all of which will be involved in policy formulation, coordination, resource mobilisation, and utilisation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The present mandate of each sector and how they can better deliver gender objectives and analyses are reported and proposed in the Strategic Implementation Framework/Plan for the Policy. 4.2. Implementation Framework 4.2.1. Adoption of a National Gender Management System Model A system-wide approach is required to achieve the desired policy targets and social re- orientation required for a gender responsive institutional transformation. A National Gender Management System (NGMS) shall be set up comprising four pillars aimed at providing an enabling environment for the intended restructuring of gender role relations in the Nigerian society. Details of the structures, processes, and mechanisms for instituting a system-wide mechanism for gender mainstreaming in institutions are presented in Figure 4.1 & Table 4.1. Figure 4.1: The Gender Management System (GMS) -Enabling Environment -Structure -- Political will -- Federal Executive -- Legislative and -- Ministry of Women framework Affairs and organs -- Adequate human, material and financial resources -- Gender Units/Focal Points in the MDAs -- Active participation of the civil Society Organisations -- National Technical -- Women in decision of Gender Experts -Mechanisms -Processses -- Gender analysis and mainstreaming capabilities -- Setting up structures and mechanisms -- Gender education and training -- Develop and implement System-Wide Gender -- Management and information system /Gender Mainstreaming System for Data National Development -- Performance appraisal systems Source: Adapted from the Commonwealth Gender Management System Handbook, 1999 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Table 4.1: The Elements of the National Gender Management System Enabling Environment ● Political will ● Legislative and administrative framework ● Adequate human and financial resources ● Active participation of Civil Society Organisations ● Women in decision making (public and private sectors; and community level structures) Processes ● Setting up GMS structures and mechanisms ● Developing and implementing a National Gender Policy Implementation Plan ● System-Wide Gender Mainstreaming across MDAs ● Developing and implementing a Sector Specific Gender Policy ● Mainstreaming GEESI issues in Policies and Legislations Structures ● Federal Executive Council ● Federal Ministry of Women and Gender Affairs ● Federal Ministry of Economic Development, Budget and Planning; ● Federal Ministry of Finance ● Federal Ministry of State and Local Government Affairs ● The Legislative ● The Judiciary ● Gender Focal Points (across MDAs) ● National Technical Team of Gender Experts ● Community Based GEESI Structures Tools and Mechanisms ● Gender analysis and mainstreaming capabilities ● Gender education and training/Gender Research ● Management and information system ● Gender Data (sex disaggregated data and gender statistics) ● Performance appraisal systems ● Gender Responsive Budgeting As a tool to track results, a separate implementation framework containing the strategies for delivery of the National Gender Policy will be developed. The strategies will include: ● strengthening the institutional procedures which ensure that the needs of women and men, girls and boys, are met equitably; ● formulating measures to ensure that gender-specific vulnerabilities and capacities of men and women are systematically identified and addressed; ● institutionalised research and data collection to ensure data on beneficiaries is disaggregated and analysed by sex and other gender conditions; ● reviewing and enhancing existing strategies for capacity building in gender mainstreaming as part of institutional development programmes; and ● Ensuring that reporting and accountability mechanisms in gender mainstreaming are put in place. 4.2.2. Gender Mainstreaming as a Core Implementation Strategy Gender mainstreaming shall be the core strategy for achieving the policy objectives and targets. The policy retains a system-wide approach to gender mainstreaming which should culminate in engendered sectoral policies, help to redefine linkages, redesign service delivery and government programming approaches. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY The National Gender Policy adopts the gender mainstreaming strategy to draw attention to how women, men, girls, and boys The National are influenced and affected by policy decisions and programme Gender Policy is not executions and the need for a two-pronged approach to aimed at replacing redressing gender inequalities. Gender mainstreaming is the institutional policies globally recognised strategy/approach for successfully and mandates, but advancing gender equality and equity in society. It requires to enhance and government actions that involve incorporating a gender perspective into all policies, plans, programmes and projects to accelerate their ensure that these impact on women and men in an equitable way. implementation Mainstreaming includes gender-specific activities and processes and standalone/affirmative action whenever women or men are in a ensure gender and particularly disadvantaged position. Therefore, the NGP has conceptualised its social strategic inclusiveness . policy and programmatic priorities, with recognition that gender-specific interventions can target women exclusively, men and women together or only men, to enable them to participate in and benefit equally from development efforts. An implementation logic model to guide stakeholders in translating gender principles into practice and effectively undertaking gender mainstreaming within respective sectors, sub- sectors, institutions, programmes or project arrangements is provided in Figure 4.2. This model is succintly explained in the Policy’s Strategic Implementation Framework/Plan ( a separate document prepared to help in the implementaiton of the Policy). Fig 4.2: Implementation Logic Model Guiding Framework Institutional Commitment Contribution to Gender (GEESI) and Policy Measures & Devt. Results - Equity External NGP Programmes, Products, - Women Goods & Services Empower Gender ment Mainstreaming - Social Principles Inclusion Objectives Resources NGP Priorities Policies, Procedures /Targets Architecture/ Structure Org. Culture Internal 4.2.3. A Need for an Effective Coordination Framework for the Gender Mainstreaming Model: It is important to understand the institutional arrangements in achieving the desired targets of the system-wide model adopted for the National Gender Policy. Bearing in mind that gender NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY issues and social inclusion concerns cut across all areas of development, the implementation of the policy requires the involvement of different institutions and sectors in Nigeria. The core strategy for achieving the policy objectives and targets will ensure that gender and social inclusion is mainstreamed across board. The policy retains a system wide approach to gender mainstreaming which should culminate in engendered sectoral policies, help to redefine linkages, redesign service delivery and government programming approaches. The Ministry of Women Affairs plays a central role in the system-wide mainstreaming process. Consequently, the Ministry’s delivery mechanism will be strengthened to better deliver its mandate. All structures and processes would need to have an awareness of gender integration, and this requires that:  Each MDA and private sector have gender result indicators, which are budgeted and evaluated for technical soundness, appropriateness and impact.  Gender focal persons should reside within MDAs as bridges of knowledge and feedback channels to the FMWA.  Implementation plans that clearly show how each policy site will implement gender should be available and accessible. The mandate for gender equality and women empowerment cuts across sectors, and institutions. These institutions are responsible for ensuring effective coordination of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the NGP. Individual stakeholders are responsible for the implementation of the component of the NGP relevant to its own institutional mandate. It is important that these sectoral and institutional interests share the same understanding of the gender equality and women empowerment vision and mission. This can only be achieved through well-targeted coordination efforts. a. Effective GEESI Management System at Institutional Level b. Sectoral Coordination Framework c. Inter-Sectoral Coordination Framework d. National Integrated Coordination Framework 4.2.4. The Coordination Role of the Ministry of Women Affairs in the Engendering Process: The 2021 Situation Analysis Report presents a number of challenges that faced the implementation of the 2006 NGP, especially in the area of coordination and role sharing. It is therefore important to strengthen the coordination mechanisms for the implementation of the policy at all levels and to clearly delineate the functions of key institutions and individual stakeholders (as stipulated in the Strategic Implementation Framework Document for this Policy). In playing the differential roles and functions towards the achievement of the policy goals, institutional linkages should be built, maintained, and sustained. Figures 4.3, 4.4, & 4.5. present such institutional links. Ministries of Women Affairs (at both Federal and State levels), and the Women/Gender Development Unit of the respective Local Government Councils are the coordinating units at the respective levels. Just like at the Federal level, the State level gender machinery comprises other Line Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the Legislature, and the Local Government Service NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Commission (see Figure 4.5. for organogram). Also, Figure 4.5. presents LGA engagements with the grassroots on gender equality and women empowerment issues and concerns. The National Gender and Women Machinery (that is, FMWA) has the ultimate responsibility for the effective coordination, monitoring, networking and provision of technical support for the process of advancing gender equity and equality, women empowerment and social inclusion across all MDAs. Therefore, government shall ensure: i. Adequate resource allocation for the FMWA including technical assistance/personnel, effective and efficient communication technologies, improved capability to reach out to other sectoral ministries, departments and agencies at both national and state level, the legislature, and the judiciary in order to influence policies, planning and programming processes ii. That the FMWA has the technical expertise in gender, gender mainstreaming and social inclusion to ensure an institutional culture of gender equity and equality, gender and inclusion practices and gender balance within the FMWA and in all its programmes as well as promote the same in all sectoral ministries and in their programming and processes iii. Availability of technical assistance and advisory services on gender and social inclusion related issues in all sectors and institutions responsible for enhancing gender and social inclusion mainstreaming approaches and programmes at all levels. iv FMWA shall serve as an ally to all MDAs, private sector and civil society organisations building relationships in solidarity and exporting GEESI technical and political capacity to ensure that there are robust KPIs and learning that assign resources to women’s practical and strategic needs and deliver services, plan and work with women, and other vulnerable groups. Figure 4.3: Federal Level Gender Machinery NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Fig. 4.4.: State Level Gender Machinery Fig. 4.5.: Local Government Level Gender Machinery In conclusion, Figure 4.6. presents a system-wide picture of stakeholders – public, private, and community level engagements on gender equality, women empowerment and social inclusion. The systemic framework presents a linear relationship in confronting the structure of gender inequalities, with the Civil Society Organisations playing a pivotal role of facilitating public accountability for gender equality and women empowerment. The private sector remains a very active partner in the process of promoting the goals and ideals of this policy. It is important for the national and state governments to clearly prescribe conditions NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY for monitoring gender equality, women empowerment, and social inclusion engagements in the private sector. Figure 4.6.: System Wide Approach to GEESI 4.3. Policy Delivery Strategies Good policies do not in themselves translate to positive change. Good strategies i.e., a road map on how to achieve the defined goals is the vehicle for delivering policies. The broad delivery strategies for achieving the policy goal and objectives are premised on the ‘dual agenda’ principle, which perceives gender equity and equality as beneficial not only to individuals (women and men; girls and boys); but also essential for producing an effective and efficient system both at the macro (national) and micro (organisational) levels. Recognising the cross-cutting nature of gender issues, the delivery of the gender policy shall be channelled through a number of integrated operational strategies (eleven of such strategies are presented in Figure 4.6, including 6 compliance criteria and 6 critical operational strategies. 4.3.1. Policy Compliance Criteria/Strategies: The policy will require calculated measures accompanied by clear strategies, tools, and modalities for realizing the objectives and targets. Building on the lessons learned and progress recorded in the implementation of the previous policies, six (6) core measures have been identified as critical for the effective delivery of this new policy. These measures will also serve as compliance criteria for assessing the delivery of the policy by stakeholders. In adopting or establishing these measures, each policy implementing partner is enlisting in a common delivery modality and agreeing to standardized and tested ways, means, and tools for promoting gender equality ideals. Proven approaches for achieving the agreed measures are detailed in Section 4.3.2. as critical operational strategies to facilitate results-focused implementation and assist all stakeholders to better translate the core gender mainstreaming principles into development results. The central policy measures required of all actors are: NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY i. Political Will: to provide the leadership, leverage authority and oversight functions to ensure the provision of adequate resources and fit for purpose organisational structures essential for achieving transformation, equity, and social inclusion ii. Policy and Legislation: to outline commitments, provide necessary framework and direction and set the legal boundaries that shape and inform actions, initiatives, and interventions geared at redressing gender inequalities iii. Evidence-based Planning: to generate data, statistics and vital information that guides development visioning, overall policy thrust and macro-economic planning iv. Capacity Building and Gender Architecture: to provide essential skills, organisational structures and operational procedures that under-pin knowledge and awareness levels as well as effective gender management systems that drive implementation processes v. Accountability and Performance Targeting: to demonstrate collective ownership of objectives and intended outcomes, agreed benchmarks and take responsibility for instituting required mechanisms vi. Tracking, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting: to assess results including goods, commodities, by-products and services for gender sensitivity and compliance to agreed performance standards. a. Political Will Leadership and drive are required at the highest level (Federal, State, Local Government and Institutional) to translate the policy intents and commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment from rhetoric to concrete and substantive action. Recognising that social inclusion and equality are pre-determinants of human development and that failure to address them has the potential to undermine other structural investments including infrastructure, is critical and demands the necessary political will to integrate them into development planning. Generating the collective drive to adopt gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment as a central poverty reduction strategy and governance enabling tool depends almost exclusively on the political will of leaders. Rwanda, Liberia, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Malawi are examples of such political will on the African continent. Such will is demonstrated in the provision of a fit-for-purpose gender architecture/machinery with the necessary coordinating mandate. Adequate resourcing to finance the delivery and actualization of the policy objectives and targets also rests squarely on leadership. Similarly, the provision of sectoral resources to deliver sector-specific targets lies in the commitment of leadership at different levels and by implication establishes the framework for demanding accountability to the policy. Furthermore, achieving change requires that resources (human, technical and material) be channelled appropriately to where it is most needed. This policy will promote gender- responsive budgeting as a viable strategy for effective planning, as current data continue to show low technical capacity for gender mainstreaming; poor funding of gender units and programmes; along with low capacity for gender budgeting across public and private institutions. b. Legislation and Policy Frameworks Provisions for the promotion and protection of gender equality and women’s rights in Nigeria are expressed variously in the constitution, legislative, judicial, and international human NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY rights laws and treaties. Although the constitution specifically makes provision to protect civil and political rights for all and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, age, ethnic and religious groupings, many aspects of the extant laws continue to sustain and reinforce patriarchal ideologies, stereotypes and practices that encourage and maintain gender inequality. For the most part, such laws offer no protection and opportunities for self- actualization to vulnerable groups, including women and girls, those with disabilities or minority groupings. Social legislation is required to drive provision of gender focused social protection services including buffers, safety nets and other pro-poor initiatives targeting women, girls, and the socially excluded. Most International treaties, particularly those that relate to gender issues are yet to be domesticated and incorporated into the laws of the Federation. Violations of women’s rights are further complicated by the existence of three legal systems—English Law, Customary Law and Sharia Law. One outcome of the tripartite legal system is the presence of numerous gender insensitive local laws that are not easily documented and consequently difficult to monitor. Furthermore, there are emerging trends and new dimensions of crimes or offences that are not adequately covered under existing laws. Legislative changes, domestication of international treaties at national and state levels and enforcement of existing laws are therefore critical means to the implementation of the National Gender Policy. To achieve gender justice and guarantee of human rights the policy pursues human rights protection, review of laws and legislation and strengthening of legal institutions to overhaul laws repugnant to natural justice, body of jurisprudence, structures and procedures as a strategy for mainstreaming and sustaining gender equity and equality principles. For example, restructuring the Federal Character Commission into an Equal Opportunity Commission, as this would give equal consideration to women and men. c. Evidence based planning Reliable sex disaggregated data and capacity to analyse data are indispensable to proper gender-based planning. Data forms the basis for evidence gathering, which is necessary for effective advocacy.  Each MDA needs to have its own data gathering and information sharing system. Statistics needs to be disaggregated but that is not enough without an analysis of the import of the findings  MDAs and CSOs need to work closely with the NBS to share data and information and ensuring statistical analyses provide the answers they seek.  Disaggregating data is not enough. There is a need to analyse the import and to design interventions that respond to the findings. To achieve evidence-based planning, two priority areas are identified, which are – sex and gender-disaggregated data/analysis and gender research: i. Sex and Gender Disaggregated Data and Analysis; Building a just society that guarantees equal opportunities for boys and girls, men and women requires that planning be based strictly on evidence. Considering the importance of accurate data and information in policy formulation, analysis, and effective programme planning, availability of appropriate data in various areas of gender concern is the key to the success of any programme on gender in Nigeria. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Baseline data and relevant information on critical gender issues will also enable quantifiable comparative analysis of progress and achievements in these areas and guide appraisal and charting of new and more effective policy directions. The 2014 Situation Analysis Report reveals that the overarching issue for Nigeria at present is the lack of gender data or information for policy engagement. This policy will promote evidence-based planning for the achievement of genuine transformation. ii. Gender Research Gender Data is important for effective planning. It should not only be timely but available in a format that is accessible and can be used to determine future plans. The policy puts emphasis on gathering and disseminating data that is useful in planning for girls and women. Gender research is to gain more attention, especially at the level of operational/action research for programme interventions, policy, and planning. a. Capacity Building and Gender Architecture Laws are a necessary but insufficient condition for change. This means that while we need laws to give the basis for demand of certain rights there will always be the need to work to enlighten different interest groups to change their perceptions and attitudes toward specific issues. The policy thus recognises the need to engage different interest groups with a view to building knowledge and skills levels, creating awareness and realizing positive change towards gender issues and the rights of women/girls. Technical expertise and appropriate tools and instruments for sustained gender-responsive development need to be available. Such skills include – Gender mainstreaming, gender/social analysis, strategic planning, advocacy and communication skills, data gathering/ data analysis, and reporting skills. A core strategy for achieving attitudinal change and deepening of knowledge in gender issues is to boost gender education. To achieve this, it is important to:  Engender Education Policy at all levels – primary to tertiary levels; and the non- formal educational system  Mainstream gender into academic curricula and the learning environment  Develop tools for the engendering /mainstreaming process both at societal and organisational levels.  Create Centres of Excellent in Gender and Social Inclusion Research across Nigerian Universities (the FMWA should seek support from TETFUND - Tertiary Education Trust Fund to fulfil this strategic goal) a. Accountability and Performance Targeting As stated above, the policy demands accountability of all stakeholders and commitment to work towards performance targets that reflect sectoral and institutional mandates so that a truly system wide approach to delivering the policy is in effect. Effective performance of the policy, its conceptual framework and strategies shall hinge on the following conditions –  The level of financial and human resources allocated to the monitoring and evaluation process;  Setting up of effective structures and mechanisms for inter and intra institutional linkages with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY  Capacity building for staff who handle gender equality and social justice policies and programmes;  Quality of data collection and utilisation and  Availability of data on gender equality and social inclusion issues. There is need to constantly pre-empt the likely differential impacts of government and other institutional policies on women and men through ex-ante policy analysis and also monitor the impacts of macro policies at the micro level, that is on the lives of women and men at the grassroots. This requires generic baseline instruments and indicators that are adaptable to any sector or population group and institutionalization of gender statistics as an instrument of policy at all levels. The National Bureau of Statistics, the Planning, Research and Statistics Department of all line Ministries and other relevant organisations shall continue to collaborate with the NCWD to generate gender specific and sex-disaggregated statistics and other situation reports within all their statutory data systems to facilitate accountability gauging and realistic performance targeting. a. Tracking, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Effective engagement of stakeholders implies that they have a stake in, and ownership of the process or intervention and an obligation to track and record progress. It is imperative therefore to involve stakeholders in monitoring and evaluating the process, including the success or otherwise and challenges of interventions, with the view to learning lessons that reinforce and improve on what is working, especially in the progress towards bridging gaps and disparities. Community participation in particular, is very critical in monitoring and evaluating progress on gender inequality moreover as many of the obnoxious gender practices are predominately located in the community. The goal of tracking, monitoring and evaluation will in addition be to ensure compliance with policy performance standards and enable continuous assessment and iterative learning processes. Monitoring and Evaluation is key to ensuring that gender is mainstreamed across board within the country. Considering the challenges of achieving results with regards to mainstreaming gender, there is the need to provide a structured course of action that will facilitate tracking of progress; ensure documentation of experiences, challenges, lessons learnt and impact of programmes, projects and activities; as well as ensure informed decision making in terms of planning and implementation of interventions and programmes. The National Gender Policy implementation therefore requires an integrated and effective monitoring and evaluation system with appropriate and efficient feedback mechanisms. Effective gender equality tracking and benchmarking of progress; regular system-wide assessment of impact is necessary. Hence, monitoring and evaluation will be an essential strategy and tool for the delivery of the revised NGP. Monitoring Focus and Criteria NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Specifically, the policy’s monitoring and evaluation components will aim to:  Provide accurate and timely feedback on the effectiveness of Gender Mainstreaming (GM) efforts at federal, state and LGA levels as well as document best practices at all levels  Facilitate regular system wide assessment of impact of gender mainstreaming initiatives and activities for compliance with policy prescriptions and targets  Identify possible gaps and review implementation strategies to M&E Measure the effectiveness and long-term impact of policy on women, vulnerable groups and others within the purview of the gender policy  Assess the overall performance of government in its efforts at achieving the objectives of the National Gender Policy and progress in international policy agreements like CEDAW The NGP will use Participatory M&E Approaches guided by criteria listed in Table 4.2. Table 4.2: Criteria for the Policy M&E Mechanisms i. Relevance Intervention addresses the needs and priorities of all especially vulnerable and disadvantaged population ii. Efficiency Use of available resources is commensurate to outcomes and outputs obtained in relation to the inputs iii. Effectiveness Degree to which expected results are achieved iv. Impact Implicit in the efficiency and effectiveness criteria, but important considering that if the delivery of relief packages is significantly delayed, they might not be useful e.g. If food assistance does not reach the targeted people in due time their nutritional status will decline v. Timeliness A cross-cutting criterion referring to the capacity of stakeholders to address in time the different needs of the populace. Annual Reporting Mechanism There will be an annual reporting mechanism to ensure that there is regular follow-up and review of progress in the implementation of the National Gender Policy. This requires undertaking monitoring and evaluation functions at all levels including gathering information at the national, sectoral and grassroots levels. Considering the multi-sectoral nature of gender issues, monitoring will be the responsibility of all implementing institutions involved. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs shall be responsible for the overall coordination, reporting and other oversight functions, while the National Bureau of Statistics and other research institutions will be critical partners in data collection and management. 4.3.2. Operational Strategies for Achieving Planned Outcomes Key compliance criteria and operational strategies to the policy are presented in Figure 4.7. and enumerated below. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Figure 4.7: The National Gender Policy Key Compliance Criteria & Operational Strategies Political Will Resource Policy & Mobilisaiton Legislation Advocacy Evidence Based Planning Cmpliance Information, Criteria & Communicatio Operational n & Value Re- Strategies for Capacity orientation Policy Delivery Building & Gender Architecture Partnership & Networking Accountability & Performance Targeting Knowledge Tracking, M&E Management and Reporting • Peer Review i. Mobilisation of resources Resources are human, technological and financial in nature  The Sustainable Development Goals and its over-all agenda for inclusive development for Nigeria provide the benchmark for projecting and institutionalising gender-sensitive budgeting, gender benchmarking, and gender impact assessment, especially of public financial systems. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to economic policy formulation and planning as projected by the various SDGs.  Ministry staffing would need to be populated by resources from a professional cadre with skills set and awareness to deliver the objectives of the policy  Women would be empowered to participate effectively in non-traditional gender sectors, including the extractive industry, petroleum resources, steel and mines, and environment among others NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY  Adequate financing for women’s rights, human capacity development, and economic empowerment projects in all MDAs is necessary. This requires that each MDA has sector-specific gender indicators to budget and deliver.  Partnerships that translate into financial and technical skills from development partners, civil society, the community and private sector needs to be sought.  Context relevant knowledge that enables the implementers understand cultural dynamics and work within it is important  Access to technology as a tool for communication, advocacy, and life-changing information is an innovation that can help maximize resources to reach more girls and women. i. Advocacy Sensitisation and awareness creation on the core value of gender equality and women’s empowerment mandates of government are to be promoted within and outside government institutions. Effective advocacy requires a good understanding of the policy process, including the following:  Engaging duty bearers and policy makers to seek policy change in a direction that helps deliver results for girls and women.  Even where there is technical knowledge, awareness, and the attitude to do what is right requires constant and sustained engagement with important policy locations.  Effective advocacy requires sensitisation of communities and gatekeepers to accept and lead the change we seek. They in turn can engage the various policy sites at the local, state, and federal levels.  Evidence needs to be generated for effective advocacy to provide a context for advancing the need for transformative change. i. Information, Communication and Value Re-Orientation Many negative stereotypes and socialisation processes are perpetuated and sustained by the media and other telecommunication platforms, which disseminate false or negatively biased information on gender. It is imperative therefore to have gender-responsive media and telecommunication outlets that can be relied upon for promoting positive gender relations and value orientations concerning women at the grassroots level. ICT can also provide veritable data for socio-economic policy and planning. The media in its various forms; electronic, print, theatre among others play a vital role in human development, as it provides the necessary channels of communicating information that could be used for mobilising national consciousness, forming public opinion, and shaping the mindset and behavioural patterns of the populace. Information communication technology is the innovative tool for change in the 21st century. Its power to open up opportunities has been demonstrated in all sectors of human development. Thus, specific attempts are needed in the following directions so that women can benefit from the gains of ICT -  Access to ICT needs to be expanded for women in rural areas  ICT devices on health, education, market information provided for women NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY  There is need to work with ICT companies to develop software in local languages that address issues of livelihood and opportunities; including the use of Artificial Intelligence to mitigate Gender Based Violence.  Effective partnership between all MDAs and the ICT Ministry could yield very innovative tools for reaching poor girls, boys, women and communities; and for resolving the problems of S/GBV which seem to be on the rise in the country. i. Knowledge Management Policy implementation demands a strong evidence for tracking change, evaluate what is working, why and how it can be scaled up. Equally important is knowing what is not working and why. Specifically, the following actions need be taken for proper knowledge management in the gender sector -  Systems that help collect and share constructive information need to be built.  Knowledge needs to be collected and stored in accessible, easy to use and share mode that allows practitioners to learn from them  Regular review of the gender policy and the strategies to achieve its objectives will be needed  Each sector should develop its strategies for implementing the policy and tracking outcomes. This will give a yardstick to measure how knowledge is used and applied for girls, women, and other vulnerable groups in each sector. v. Peer Review Opportunities will be provided for peer learning where M&E information that captures best practices, implementation strengths, and challenges as well as lessons learned is shared amongst peers in gender mainstreaming. The above-stated criteria and quality standards will be engaged for the peer-review procedure. The M&E will be informed by peer review mechanism amongst the political and bureaucratic leadership of the MDAs. The Peer Review Mechanism will be a regular meeting/forum for all MDAs to share ideas, identify areas for collaboration, and to report on progress on a quarterly basis against set indicators. This will encourage increased collaboration, learning from each other’s progress in implementation, and also a spirit of mutual accountability across MDAs, and in particular, a harvest of these various progress reports by the coordinating ministries and departments. The purpose of the Peer Review Mechanism will be to:  Agree and budget for benchmarks and key indicators for evaluation  Enable the sharing of ideas and lessons learned  Ensure effective collaboration between related programmes  Agree on and implement a joint mechanism for monitoring the delivery of the agreed results in a budget year  Hold each other accountable.  A collegial approach to implementing the gender policy may help maximize gains  Specialised Committees and Technical Working Group of Bureaucrats led by the FMWA will be needed to review the gender indicators periodically. Private Sector should be encouraged to mark the 16 days of activism against VAWG. This NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY window could serve as an opportunity to measure gains in other sectors including schools.  Promotion of media engagements by sensitising the public on and popularising the various dimensions of the Gender Policy in the 16 days of activism against VAWG. vi. Partnership & Networking Because of the systemic nature of the problems of gender inequality in the society, it is important to build partnerships, linkages, and networks for more sustainable results particularly with non-traditional partners and local communities. Engagement with these groups would not only expand coverage but will contribute immensely to a broad ownership of the policy. A deliberate strategy to cultivate and build partnerships through joint programming arrangements will help in maximizing the use of limited resources in the face of competing demands. The goal is to accelerate implementation pace, achieve set targets, and enhance impact with limited resources within a short space of time. Partnership reflecting responsibility for different dimensions of the policy shall rest with identified stakeholders as provided below: i. Private Sector Neo-liberal reform policies have been accompanied by privatization of government owned firms and the expansion of the private sectors with different opportunities for women and men in the productive sectors. The private sector has hitherto been ignored in terms of its ability to contribute to women’s empowerment. However, it has the potential to create a conducive environment for women and contribute to their growth as employers of labour and partners with civil society. The private sector, being profit oriented and capital intensive is currently dominated by men. Generally, women, compared to men, lack access to employment opportunities because of low investment in their human capital, especially their low level of education, and lack of skills appropriate for employment. The few women employed in the private sector work under gruesome conditions. The Nigerian private sector is thus characterized by occupational sex segregation, gender-based discriminatory policies, gender unfriendly work environment, gender-based labour abuse; and insensitivity to gender-based abuses among others. It is important for the FMWA and its allies to work closely with the Private Sector to bring about the required change in the sector. i. Communities The community plays a very significant role in the socialisation process of girls and boys which results in gender inequalities and stereotypes. Although culture is not homogeneous in Nigeria, there is nonetheless, a constant manifestation of patriarchal bias in the power structures, allocation of resources, and decision making. One consequence of this is unequal opportunity and access to economic goods and resources, lack of voice, and influence in policy and decision. The new policy recognises the changing roles of women and men, boys and girls in the economic, social, and political spheres of the community; thereby making gender equality a cross-cutting issue of concern. It is important to address the structures which continue to perpetuate gender inequities and social exclusions at the grassroots level under the mandates of this policy. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY ii. CSOs CSOs occupies a very strategic position between family, community, the market and government. As development partners, they are formidable allies, when partnering with communities, particularly on issues, which the CSOs have the requisite capacity to engage with. CSOs have the resources, reach and influence to act as advocates, promote and ensure that the interests/needs of the community are considered and acted upon. iii. Development Partners Global actions through the activities of international development partners can positively affect the impact of domestic policies. In this sense, global and domestic actions are complementary. Therefore, international development partners can play a key role in facilitating the design of gender-sensitive developmental framework capable of bringing about the desired change in the gender sector, in Nigeria. The role of international development partners will include capacity building through training and re-training; and sharing best practices with state and non-state actors in the gender sector. Development aid should be received in a timely manner and foster aid independence and the ability to use national resources most effectively. i. Male Allies The lesson on the need to build allies across diversities cannot be over-emphasized. It is important to work with male allies who are open to change and are ready to serve as gender equity/equality champions. There is a need to work with boys and girls, and gatekeepers, to build a critical generation of people who think more progressively about gender relations and their impact on national development. ii. Media The media has become versatile and needs to be cultivated to report women’s issues from a position of awareness and desire for balance. The movie industry is a potential ally. Working with scriptwriters and producers can lead to the development of storylines that affirm the personality of girls and women, and visibility to conditions of persons regularly left out of the development equations, for example, persons with various experiences of vulnerabilities. iii. ICT as a powerful tool for transformative change The gender sector needs to be strengthened by ICT deployment for feedbacks, data gathering, awareness creation, sensitisation, and building strong gender platforms for social change. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mitigating problems like S/GBV is gaining more attraction and should be adopted for programming and interventions. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY SECTION FIVE

SECTION 5: CONCLUSIONS The main thrust of the National Gender Policy (NGP) is to promote gender and social inclusion sensitive and responsive culture in policy planning and national development. A major tool for the required social transformation remains the system-wide approach of promoting gender and social inclusion mainstreaming and women’s empowerment in all public, private and community policies and programming priorities in Nigeria. The NGP is pushing vigorously for a level playing field in terms of gender equity and social inclusion in all spheres of life thereby promoting the Gender Equality, Empowerment of Women, and Social Inclusion Agenda (GEESI). Over the years, the domestication of the National Gender Policy at both the State and the Local Government levels, and by the private sector institutions have been particularly slow and awareness of the existence of the NGP has remained low. Although portions of the policy have been used by different state and non-state actors in specific target areas, amongst the 36 states, not more than 17% (6 states) have developed and approved a State level Gender Policy. The States include Ekiti, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, Osun, and Delta States. Also, a few federal level ministries, departments, and agencies (including the Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria Police Force, INEC, EFCC, Nigeria Labour Congress, and some Federal Universities) now have institutional-level Gender Policies. Despite this level of progress, the implementation of these policies has been particularly slow and inadequate in depth. There also remains a wide gap in the area of social inclusion, hence, this revised NGP has taken the Gender Equality, Empowerment of women, and Social Inclusion (GEESI) approach. A major challenge has been how to coordinate the gender and social inclusion mainstreaming efforts across sectors (public and private) without over-tasking the present structure. The mandates for ‘women empowerment’, ‘gender equality’ and ‘social inclusion’ are the three pillars of the National Gender Policy. To enhance the achievement of these mandates, supportive institutions and/or institutional reforms are needed. Otherwise, the pursuit of one may over-shadow the other if this process of change is not well articulated. Although most of the Line Ministries (especially at the Federal level) have Gender Desk Officers, such officers do not have the influence and authority to bring about required structural changes that could ensure sustainable interest in gender mainstreaming across sectors. The NGP proposes a Gender Unit and/or a Gender Mainstreaming Office located in the office of the Permanent Secretary or equivalent in the respective MDAs; and including expanding the mandate of the Federal Character Commission to include Equal Opportunity for all. To further strengthen the mandates of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, efforts need to be taken for its restructuring and renaming. It is therefore recommended to the government consider changing the name of the Ministry of Women Affairs to the Ministry of Women and Gender Affairs. Its restructuring will include the creation of a Department of ‘Gender and Social Inclusion’ in addition to the existing Department of Women Affairs - with distinct roles and responsibilities. While Women Affairs Department engages with women empowerment issues and programmes; the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Department NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY has responsibilities for gender mainstreaming; coordination; collaborations; and monitoring the development of gender indicators across sectors. The Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Department shall be responsible for the overall coordination and assessment of progress on the implementation of the National Gender Policy. The process of engaging a ‘system-wide’ approach to gender mainstreaming is usually slowed down because of capacity challenges (including funding, technical capacity, and political will). Hence, it is of utmost importance that the following are present to ensure effective implementation of the revised NGP: Political Will: support from the highest level of governance at all tiers, particularly the Presidency; Evidence-based Planning; Capacity Building and Gender Architecture; Accountability, and Performance Targeting; adequate resources (human, technological and financial); monitoring, evaluation, and learning; Information, Communication, Value Re-Orientation and Knowledge Management and Awareness creation and sensitization. It is important that the NGP be widely disseminated using all avenues available. The policy has an estimated life span of five years, 2021 -2026 with a review at the expiry of the NGP. The review will afford an opportunity for a thorough performance review. This is critical and will serve as a good appraisal and lessons learning exercise that will feed into the next NGP and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. A strategic plan for the policy implementation shall be developed which shall be reviewed midterm and also assist in the assessment of the policy performance. The National Gender Policy shall be published, in local languages and disseminated with copies in electronic, political, and abridged versions to stakeholders to ensure its implementation and adaptation across sectors, State Institutions, and the Private Sector. A Dissemination Plan will be developed for the policy NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY BIBLIOGRAPHY Abutu, O. P., & Abubakar, S. Revealing the Justification for Low Political Participation of Women in Elective Offices in Nigeria. Adewuya, A. O., Coker, O. A., Atilola, O., Ola, B. A., Zachariah, M. P., Adewumi, T., . . . Idris, O. (2018). Gender difference in the point prevalence, symptoms, comorbidity, and correlates of depression: findings from the Lagos State Mental Health Survey (LSMHS), Nigeria. 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Annex 1: Key Selected National Gender Profile Data Literacy Rate (By Sex & Year) Literacy Rate 2014 2015 2016 M% F% M% F% M% F% Enrolment in primary education 51.4% 48.6 52.6 47.4 52.5 47.5 Junior Secondary 53.4 46.6 52.8 47.2 53.3 46.7 Senior Secondary 54.1 45.9 53.5 46.5 54.0 46.0 % Pass 5 Credits including English and 15.3 14.9 19.0 18.5 27.8 26.4 Mathematics Enrolment in Nigerian Colleges of 53.9 46.1 52.7 47.3 53.6 46.4 Education Source: Nigeria Digest of Education Statistics, Federal Ministry of Education 2018 NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY

Annex 2: Selected Gender Indicators By Year and Sex Categories Gender 2005 2006 2007 2017 2018 SOURCE Indicators M% F% M% F% M% F% M% F% M% F% Mortality Rate 41.3 38.1 40.8 37.7 40.3 37.3 36.8 32.9 36.4 32.5 World Bank Under-five 16.4 14.7 15.9 14.2 15.4 13.8 13 11.6 12.7 11.4 World mortality rate Bank Neonatal 10.4 8.7 10.1 8.4 9..9 8.2 8.4 7.1 8.3 6.9 World mortality rate Bank Ages 15+ living 44.3 55.7 44.1 55.9 43.9 56.1 42 58 41.8 58.2 World with HIV (%) Bank Population aged 2.55 2.94 2.57 2.95 2.58 2.95 2.58 2.93 2.57 2.93 World 65 and above, Bank Male (% of Male Population)/ Female (% of Female Population Unemployment 3.82 3.65 3.71 3.58 3.61 3.52 7.68 9.26 7.54 9.10 ILO/ rate World (ILO estimate) Bank Employment 61.8 53.2 62.1 53.3 62.1 53.3 53.7 43.7 53.7 43.8 ILO rates – Employment to population ratio, 15+, (%) % of women in 50.3 38.8 50.1 37.6 49.8 36.5 44.9 25.1 44.5 24.4 ILO the Agricultural Sector (ILO estimate) % of women in 11.3 11.5 10.7 11.4 10.3 11.4 11.7 12.8 11.8 12.8 ILO the Industry (ILO estimate) % of children 41.2 40.1 34.07 36.04 aged 7-14yrs in child labour % of seats held in 93.61 6.39 93.89 6.11 93.02 6.98 94.44 5.56 94.44 5.56 NBS national parliaments by gender Membership in 97.2 2.8 97.2 2.8 91.7 8.3 92.7 7.3 92.7 7.3 NBS the Senate Members of 94.2 5.8 94.2 5.8 93.91 6.09 94.68 5.32 94.68 5.32 NBS House of Representatives State House of 93.06 6.94 93.06 6.94 94.13 5.87 95.23 4.77 95.23 4.77 NBS Assembly Principal Officers State House of 91.77 9.23 91.77 9.23 93.61 6.39 94.56 5.44 94.56 5.44 NBS Assembly Committee Chairpersons State Deputy 92.5 7.5 92.5 7.5 89.7 10.3 84.6 15.4 84.6 15.4 NBS Governors Persons in 90.5 9.5 90.5 9.5 87.4 10.3 84.6 15.4 84.6 15.4 NBS Ministerial NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY APPENDIX: GLOSSARY OF TERMS CONCEPT OPERATIONAL DEFINITION CEDAW The Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) provide the basis for realizing equality between men and women through ensuring women’s access to and equal opportunities in political and public life. Development A process with economic and social dimensions. It entails quantitative changes in aggregates such as Gross National Product, as well as changes in institutional, social and administrative structures (Todaro,1989), with the objective of effecting the material and social advancement of the population. Engendering As a gender concept, engendering refers to the process of integrating gender considerations and concerns into words, actions and assessment policies, programmes, projects and other institutional functioning. Empowerment Refers to the process of “conscientisation” which builds critical analytical skills for individual to gain self-confidence in order to take control of her or his life. Empowerment of women is an essential process in the transformation of gender relations because it addresses the structural and underlying causes of subordination and discrimination. Equality of Refers to a fundamental human right, and a zero tolerance to discrimination, as Opportunity embedded in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. At the core of this National Gender Policy is achieving equal opportunity for ALL irrespective of sex, gender, and social circumstance, such that everybody has equal access to resources, services, employment opportunities among others. Equality of Refers to meeting the specific and distinct needs of different social categories of men Treatment and women by government and cultural institutions, service providers, and employers of labour irrespective of sex, gender, and physical disabilities. Equality of treatment does not mean treating all men and women in exactly the same way (i.e., in a gender- blind fashion) as this would only serve to perpetuate existing disparities, rather persons are treated according to the level of need and/or social circumstance. Gender This refers to culturally and socially constructed roles, responsibilities, privileges, relations and expectations assigned to being women, men, boys and girls. Gender is therefore patterned, socially produced distinctions between femininity and masculinity. It is a central organising principle of societies, and often governs the processes of production and reproduction, consumption and distribution. Through gendered processes, advantages and disadvantages, exploitation and control, action and emotion, meaning, and identity are patterned in terms of a distinction between male and female; masculinity and femininity. Thus, gender attributes are culturally specific (not universal), and can change over a period of time. They do not necessarily have biological component. Gender Analysis “Is a process which allows us to distinguish the ways in which the distribution of resources, activities, power, representation and decision-making vary amongst women and men within a given socio-economic group and at a particular point in time. A gender analysis may ask typical questions such as – who does what? Who has what? Who decides? How? Who sins? Who loses?” (The United Nations System in Nigeria, 2013:12). Gender and Refers to a planning process which is based on an analysis of the different situations Development and needs of men, women, boys and girls. It aims at creating gender equity between (GAD) men and women; boys and girls. A gender and development perspective recognises the importance of the relations between men and women; boys and girls. Gender Refers to a state of knowledge of the differences in roles and relations of women and Awareness men; girls and boys; and how this results in difference in power relations, status, privilege and needs. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY Gender aware Is a tool that assesses whether the policy addresses the needs of men and women; boys policy appraisal and girls; and specific vulnerable groups such as the physically challenged and the aged. Gender Bias This is a positive and/or negative attitudes/practices towards either female or male. Gender Is the failure to recognise that gender is an essential determinant of social outcomes Blindness impacting on projects and policies. A gender-blind approach assumes that gender is not an influencing factor in, projects, programs or policy. Such policy/programme/project consciously or unconsciously failed to consider the position, needs, feelings, and desires of women, men, boy and girls as separate categories with separate needs and interests. For example, until recently, agriculture policies are male biased - as “farmers” are generally seen as males, while female farmers are often not focused in agricultural intervention programmes. This ends up widening the gender gap in Agriculture. Gender Budget A budgeting method that analyses the incidence of budgets on men and women and girls and boys. Gender budgeting entails analyses of revenue and expenditure impacts so as to avoid or correct gender imbalances. Gender budgeting or ‘gender-sensitive budgets’ are not separate budgets for women, or for men; rather it is a dissection of the government budget to establish its gender-differential impacts and to translate gender commitments into budgetary commitments. The main objective of a gender-sensitive budget is to improve the analysis of incidence of budgets, attain more effective targeting of public expenditure and offset any undesirable gender-specific consequences of previous budgetary measures. Gender Refers to an index which uses some of the same variables as the Human Development Development Index (HDI) which includes life expectancy, educational attainment and real GDP, but Index (GDI) which goes further to take into account inequality in achievement between women and men; boys and girls. Gender Differential treatment to individuals on the grounds of gender Discrimination Gender Division Different work roles assigned by society to men and women. For example, women tend of Labour to be engaged in unpaid domestic work, low pay, low status and informal sector jobs, while men tend to be employed in higher paid and formal sector work. Gender Refers to a measure which examines whether women and men are able to actively Empowerment participate in social, economic, and political life and are able to take part in decision- (GEM) making. GEM focuses on the capacities of women and men to take advantage of the opportunities of life. Gender Equality Refers to a situation where women and men have equal conditions for realizing their full human rights and potential; are able to contribute equally to national, political, economic, social and cultural development; and benefit equally from the results. Gender Equality entails that the underlying causes of discrimination based on sex, gender and other social conditions are systematically identified and removed in order to give men and women equal opportunities. The concept of Gender Equality, as used in this policy framework, takes into account women existing subordinate positions within social relations and aims at the structuring of society so as to eradicate male domination. Therefore, equality is understood to include both formal equality and substantive equality; not merely simple equality to men. Gender equality tends to refer to equality in outcomes and results. Gender Equity This entails the provision of fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities between women and men; boys and girls. The concept recognises that women and men; boys and girls, have different needs and power and that these differences should be identified and addressed in a manner that rectifies the imbalances between the sexes. In other words, it takes into consideration the differences in women’s and men’s (boys’ and girls’) lives and recognises that different approaches NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY may be needed to produce outcomes that are equitable Gender Gap = A gender gap is a disparity between genders involving quality or quantity. Though Disparity some gender gaps are controversial, they are not to be confused with sexist stereotypes. A classic example of a gender gap is the supposed difference in pay between men and women for the same job responsibilities. The European Commission defines gender gap as the ‘gap in any area between women and men in terms of their levels of participation, access, rights, remuneration or benefits’ (European Commission, 1998). Gender Implicit These are not clearly state, they are hidden, henceforth implied, such terms as farmers, Issues population, the poor, and the masses are given examples. Therefore, there is need to open them up and know exactly whose gender needs are being targeted. Is it men, women, girls or boys? Gender It measures gender related changes in society over time. They may be pointers, facts, Indicator numbers, opinions or perceptions used to signify changes in specific conditions or progress towards particular gender-related objectives (The United Nations in Nigeria, 2013) Gender Issues These arise when the relationships between women and men, their roles, privileges, status and positions are identified and analysed. Gender issues arise where inequalities are shown to exist between people purely on the basis of being a female or a male. The fact that gender differences are socially constructed is itself a primary issue to deal with. Gender Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for Mainstreaming women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated (ECOSOC, 1997). Recognising that most institutions consciously and unconsciously serve the interests of men, gender mainstreaming perspective aims at transforming institutions to promote full participation of women in decision making so that women’s needs move from the margins to the centre of development planning and resource allocation. Gender GMS is a network of structures, mechanisms and processes put in place within an Management existing organisational framework, to guide, plan, monitor and evaluate the process of System (GMS) mainstreaming gender into all areas of the organisation’s work, in order to achieve greater gender equality and equity within the context of sustainable development (Commonwealth Secretariat, 1990). Gender Neutral The planning for women, men, girls and boys as if they are homogeneous and not taking into consideration their different needs and roles. Experience has shown that gender neutral planning in reality addresses the needs of the dominant group. Gender Whereby one gender dominates the other unjustly or even cruelly, whether it is Oppression deliberate or not. Gender The ultimate goal of this approach is to create equality between women and men. It Perspective uses a set of tools and guidelines on how to identify the impact on development on gender relations and the roles of women and men. Gender re- These policies try to tackle gender imbalances, gender gaps and gender disparities in distributive society by addressing the strategic gender needs of both men and women. Such policies policies transform gender relationships and lead to gender equality. Gender Refers to a planning process in which programmes and policy actions are developed to Responsiveness deal with and counteract problems which arise out of socially constructed differences between women and men. Gender Roles These are the different tasks and responsibilities and expectations that society has defined and allocated to men, women, girls and boys. They are not necessarily determined by biological make up and therefore they change with time and according NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY to the situation. Gender Encompasses the ability to acknowledge and highlight existing gender differences, Sensitivity issues and inequalities and incorporate these into strategies and action. Gender This is the assigning of roles, tasks and responsibilities to a particular gender on the Stereotyping basis of pre-conceived social and cultural prejudices. Human Refers to a tool which measures the average achievement of a country in basic human Development capabilities. The HDI focuses on three variables, namely life expectancy, educational Index (HDI) attainment and the gross domestic product (GDP). Policy Refers to guiding principles to a course of action arrived at by decision-makers to address an area of concern and/or issues through executive and/or legal action. Poverty Poverty is a level of economic development, which barely meets the minimum standards of human wellbeing. Conventional economic definitions use income or consumption pattern, complemented by a range of other social indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality, nutrition, the proportion of the household budget spent on food, literacy, school enrolment rates, access to health clinics or drinking water; to classify poor groups against a common index of material welfare. Practical PGNs are needs which are related to satisfying both men’s and women’s, girls’ and Gender Needs boys’ basic and material needs for their day today survival. Women’s PGNs are those (PGN) needs identified to help women cope better in their existing subordinate positions. Thus, practical needs are related largely to issues of welfare and do not challenge the existing gender division of labour and/or improve women’s subordinate positions in society. Productive Refers to the production of goods and services for consumption or trade. When people activities are asked what they do for a living, the response is usually related to productive work, especially work that generates income. Both men and women are involved in productive activities but, for the most part, their functions and responsibilities will differ according to gender division of labour in the society. Women’s productive work is often less visible and less valued than men. Reproductive Refers to care and maintenance of the household and its members – including child work bearing and nurturing roles, preparing food, collecting water and fuel, shopping, housekeeping and family health care. Although reproductive work is crucial to human survival, it is seldom considered “real work”. Reproductive work is usually time consuming, labour intensive and not paid for. It is almost always the responsibility of women and girls. Sex This is the biological make up of men and women, boys, and girls which describes their anatomical distinction of being a male or a female. Sex attributes are universal, and are often not adaptable to change Strategic These are needs that are related to changing the situation of marginalised people Gender Needs especially women and other vulnerable groups. Meeting strategic needs helps women (SGN) to achieve greater Gender Equality. It also changes existing roles and therefore challenges the structure of gender inequality which often results in women’s subordinate position. Strategic needs may include such issues as legal rights, equal wage, and women’s control over resources among others. Substantive Refers to a stage of real equality underpinned by equality of opportunity, access and Equality treatment between women and men. Women This is a process of generating and building capacities to exercise control over one’s Empowerment life. Empowerment is the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. Central to this process are actions which both build individual and collective assets, and improve the efficiency and fairness of the organisational and institutional context which govern the use of these assets. Women in Refers to a planning process in which the importance of women’s needs in Development development is the major focus. Strategically, it focuses on women only projects, but (WID) often considers women as the problem of development needing intervention rather than NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY targeting the structure which continues to entrench gender inequalities in the society. NATIONAL GENDER POLICY NOT NATION GENDER POLICY