The objectification of women has been a practice amongst mankind from time immemorial. Women are considered as a second fiddle globally, subjecting them to the kitchen and bedroom while the men take charge in the boardroom and other strata of influence. Before this time, when women are thought of, three things come to mind: procreation, home chores and kitchen. Because men carried all the load of nation building and leadership as their exclusive function, even when women may have valid contribution, it is swept aside and when the consequence of such actions manifests, everyone bears it.

This is and more is believed to be the motivation for the creation of the International Women’s Day by the United Nations to give room for an annual reinforcement of pro-women campaigns for the propagation and call for their rights. March 8 was set aside and the theme for the 2020 is entitled, “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”.

The theme is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, the Beijing Platform for Action is recognized as the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere.

The year 2020 in the context of the UN is a pivotal year for advancing gender equality worldwide, as the global community takes stock of progress made for women’s rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. It will also mark several other galvanizing moments in the gender equality movement: a five-year milestone towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security; and the 10th anniversary of UN Women’s establishment.

The emerging global consensus is that despite some progress, real change has been agonizingly slow for the majority of women and girls in the world. A quick instance is the management and monitoring committees of the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC) in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria, which are billed to be inaugurated on Monday, March 2, 2020, without any woman representation.

Both committees are supposed to be in charge of supervising recruitment and managing employment related issues in the oil rich Island. With the signing of the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the commencement of the multi-billion dollar Train 7 project of the Nigeria Liquefied Nigeria Gas (NLNG) in Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria, one should expect that there will be a spree of jobs in the Island and how the kingdom intends to be equitable towards ensuring women are not left out in the scheme of things remains a subject of great concern for close watchers.

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike had during the local government elections in 2018 insisted that women should deputize all twenty three local government chairmen in the State as a way of guaranteeing inclusivity for women. This turned out to be the case which may not be unconnected to the political tranquillity on women representation that is being observed in the State’s local government councils.

It is our considered view that the inclusion of women in the Management Committee of the Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC) and its Employment Monitoring Committee before their inauguration by the Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Rt. Hon. David Rogers Irimagha will signpost solidarity with not just the women of Bonny Kingdom but the predilection of the Governor of Rivers State and, indeed, the spirit of the UN 2020 International Women’s Day Theme.

This perspective is reinforced by the sterling performances of several Bonny women who have excellently distinguished themselves in various roles both at home and beyond. These include but not limited to the pioneer Director General of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, super Permanent Secretary and later Minister of Lands and Housing, Amal Pepple, Commissioner for Women Affairs in the Peter Odili and Celestine Omehia administrations, Toru Ofili, General Manager, External Relations, Nigeria LNG, Siene Allwell-Brown, first female Secretary to the Bonny Local Government Council, Helen Pepple, and currently, first female Vice Chairman, Bonny LGA, Anengi Barasua, among several others.     

As March 8 draws closer, it is hoped that the women of Bonny Kingdom will not be in grumbling but celebration as will be the case internationally, while they too begin to speak up for their equitable representation.