Empowering Women and Girls

Empowering Women and Girls in Nigeria’s Adamawa State

Jamila Babuba in campaign poster

Jamila Babuba in campaign poster

An article about Jamila Babuba, a female candidate for office in Nigeria’s Adamawa State, led me on a search about the UN program empowering women and girls.

I read about her in the recent UN Women Newsletter. “Jamila Babuba, 39, attended a workshop organized by the Nigerian Ministry of Women Affairs and UN Women as part of the Northern Nigeria Women, Peace and Security Programme, funded by the European Union.”

Women, Peace and Security

I needed to understand the background of the “women, peace and security program.”

It is a long-standing program of the UN and UN Women, I found. Even before UN Women became an agency on its own, gender equality has been on the UN’s agenda. I’m sure Eleanor Roosevelt spoke out on this issue in the UN’s early days.

“Beginning in 1975, the United Nations convened world conferences to elevate gender equality on the global stage. In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women yielded the Beijing Declaration and Platform with key objectives that promoted of the role of women in peacemaking,” I read on the website of the US Institute for Peace.

With civil society and political will from UN member countries, women’s equality and women’s role in peacemaking, were joined.

In 2000 the UN passed Resolution 1325. According to the United States Institute for Peace website, “UNSCR 1325 [the SC is for Security Council] affirms that peace and security efforts are more sustainable when women are equal partners in the prevention of violent conflict, the delivery of relief and recovery efforts and in the forging of lasting peace.”

The Resolution provides a basis for activities of the UN and its agencies, a vehicle for them to propose programs to increase women’s participation.

UN Women is executing the four-year Northern Nigeria program, one example of the implementation of the Resolution. There are specific objectives and measurable outcomes for the program. Promoting legislation and providing workshops are actions within the program.

Jamila Babuba

In Adamawa State in Northern Nigeria a bill supporting women’s rights had been under consideration. UN Women partnered with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to strengthen support for the Adamawa Equal Opportunities Bill.

Babuba said, “I attended the sensitization workshop regarding the importance of the bill, which motivated me to continue advocating for its passage.”

She also decided to run for the state assembly in the 2019 elections.

You can read more about the resolution here. If you’d like me to write more about it, please say so! I didn’t want to overload you with UN jargon!

Generosity at the Dump and the Gas Station

Three weeks ago I made my usual trip to the Westport Transfer Station, more commonly known as the town dump! I take our garbage and stuff to recycle.

Like the tricycle I was given

Like the tricycle I was given

A man was carrying a pretty pink young child’s tricycle. He clearly didn’t want to throw it in the huge garbage pit, but couldn’t find a place to put it. I held out my free hand and said, “Unitarian Church tag sale!”

He was happy to give it to me. “I have more,” he said. He showed me another tricycle, a small pink bicycle, and a large pink doll house.

“I’m not sure they’ll all fit in my car,” I said. “Could I have someone pick them up from you?”

“I need to get rid of them today,” he said. I could see he didn’t want to return home with these clearly outgrown possessions.

Ikem at Sesame Street Amusement Park a week before his birthday

Ikem at Sesame Street Amusement Park a week before his birthday

He offered to drop them off at my house. They’ve been waiting in the basement.

I suggested Kelvin bring one up for Ikem a couple of weeks ago. Ikem didn’t mind the pink color and rode around for a few minutes.

A few days ago I went through closets and the basement storage. I collected several large bags and a couple of boxes of stuff to donate. I moved everything downstairs.

Yesterday I was ready to load the car. First I had to unload all the beach equipment I’d been carrying around.

Then I loaded the bags and a couple of boxes. I put one of the small trikes in, but was perplexed about how to load the doll house and the larger bike.

Nkiru came to Westport last weekend when I was away. She and Grandpa went out for lunch!

Nkiru came to Westport last weekend when I was away. She and Grandpa went out for lunch!

Our lawn guy appeared at just the right moment and assisted. The car trunk and backseat were full to overflowing with one tricycle in the front passenger seat! One of the tag sale volunteers was to meet me at the church at 2:30 to unload.

But I Couldn’t Move

I climbed in, and the car wouldn’t start. You know that horrible sound when you can tell the battery is dead? That was the sound.

Geico Roadside Assistance got our local Mobil Service Center person to come. He showed me the corroded battery, which he was able to jumpstart. He confirmed I needed a new one! So I canceled the person waiting for me at the church, and drove to Mobil.

While waiting in their little office, he mentioned that his colleague, sitting nearby, had a 3-year-old daughter. I suggested he look in the car and choose one item to take.

Nkiru and Grandpa, Little Kitchen Restaurant in Westport

Nkiru and Grandpa, Little Kitchen Restaurant in Westport

Tag Sale First Receipt

He came back and said he could take it all if I wanted. “No, I need to deliver the other things for the church tag sale,” I said. “Just take one.”

He did and thanked me. After the new battery was installed and I was preparing to leave, I told him the date and place of the tag sale.

“You said it’s for a church?” he said.

I confirmed it was. He pulled out $5. “Put this toward the tag sale,” he said.

Author: Catherine Onyemelukwe

Author, blogger, speaker. Born in New York, grew up in mid west United States, lived in Nigeria for 24 years, back in U.S. since 1986. Advocate for racial justice.

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