The FCT Mandate Secretary for Women Affairs, Hon. Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi has forefronted the FCT representation for women of the FCT at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women -CSW68 in New York.

The event is the largest annual constellation of UN Women, aimed at advancing global action on gender equality and women empowerment.

With the theme: “Accelerating the Achievement of Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women by Women: Implications on Poverty and Strengthening Institutions,” the event brings together influential leaders, policymakers, and activists dedicated to driving global progress in gender equality.

Speaking at a CSW68 Session Side Event, hosted by the African Women Working Group, held at the UN Headquarters, New York, Hon. Adedayo commended the Minister of FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike, for the creation of FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, in furtherance of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to provide a strategic platform for women engagement in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. “My assignment as the Mandate Secretary of FCT Women Affairs Secretariat is a pioneer assignment that has come out of forty-eight years of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria’s existence, without an institutional representation for women in the Nigeria’s Capital City. Though the Federal Capital Territory is home base to all the Federal Ministerial Institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, it never occurred to anyone governmentally, to set up a Commission or Secretariat for Women Affairs in the Capital City of 6 Area Councils, 62 Wards and 17 tribal Chiefdoms. Quite incredible, until the arrival of Mr. Project, the Honourable Minister of FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike, who came in and established for the first time, the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, saddled with the exclusive responsibility to address women issues in the Federal Capital Territory”, Hon. Adedayo said.

Speaking further, Hon, Adedayo hinted that, on assumption of office, she hit the ground running with 16 Days of Gender-Based Violence -GBV activism, which recorded an unprecedented success of taking the advocacy to the nooks and crannies of the 6 Area Councils of the FCT. She mentioned that the FCT has already commenced an annual observance of Adolescent Girls Day, which is the first in the history of Nigeria. According to Hon. Adedayo, the engagement of her Secretariat so far, has impacted positively on the lives of women in remote areas of the FCT, where the Abuja metropolitan ambience can not penetrate

The FCT Women Affairs Mandate Secretary revealed that the FCT Orange Girls pilot project has selected 310 adolescent girls ranging from ages 12 – 20 for EQ training and life skill empowerment GBV Data Reporting on National Dashboard. She said these girls shall stand as global ambassadors to train others and lead their peers in girl-child empowerment advocacy in the FCT.

Other distinguished guests attending this event were: the First Lady of the Bahamas, Her Excellency, Ann Marie Davis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Republic of Sierra Leone, Madam Francess Piagie Aighali, the First Lady of Ogun State, Her Excellency, Bamidele Abiodun, Former First Lady of Bayelsa State, Her Excellency, Mrs. Uduak Alayingi Sylva, and other notable figures in the social development, gender, and non-governmental organization (NGO) sectors.

The Theme of the Side Event, “Celebrating the Achievement for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women NY Women: Implication on Poverty and Strengthening Institution”, is apt against the obvious backdrop of the worrisome statistics of poverty among women and the dire need to empower and invest in them, in order to upturn such index.

Highlights of the Side Event included Book Presentation and Excellent in Women Global Support Award presentation.

Hon. Adedayo is also expected to host the first time inaugural side event by FCT at CSW, pitching Nigeria’s Capital City as the destination of first choice when it comes to piloting international collaborations for Women in Nigeria. This is scheduled to hold on Tuesday 19th March, with the Theme, “The Abuja Accelerator: Unifying Women for Global Impact”. The event shall feature wife of Ona of Abaji, and media profiling of women community enterprise from the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.