BENIN CITY- Poverty, Low financial literacy as well as under-representation of women in securing wage employment opportunity in both private and public sector amidst other factors have been identified as a major setback for Nigerian women seeking economic empowerment in the country.
This position was made Tuesday by the President, African Women Empowerment Guild, Dr. Mrs Nosa Aladeshelu at an event tom mark 2015 World Women’s Day in Benin City organised by a none governmental organisation; Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) where she said no appreciable development can be made at the local, national or international level without mentoring and recognising girls as well as women equal players in decision making and in the socio economic development of a nation.
Aladeshelu while presenting a lecture at the event with theme “Empowering Women and Empowering Humanity, Make it happen” and her paper titled “Women Economic Advancement: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” enjoined women to be self reliant, both in asserting their rights at all times and to endeavour to compete favourably with their male folks rather than demanding for token from their male counterparts.
Aladeshelu said majority of women almost everywhere have manifested all the major indices of poverty by virtue of their lack of income and productive resources sufficient to ensure a sustainable livelihood”. lack of collateral hinders women accessing credit through informal and semi formal credit institutions despite the high volume of credits at these institutions.
She noted that tackling poverty among women would ensure Nigeria’s economic growth, sustainable human development, material prosperity, peace and progress, stressing that “Equitable access to decent employment opportunity is also of particular importance for rural women, and a means to ensure their families ‘ livelihoods and well-being, promote their own economic and social empowerment and contribute to the growth of their communities. “