Womens Economic Rights> 5TH MESSAGE FROM THE CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT

[jjowa@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Dear participants,
Our conference is gradually drawing to an end and we 
have to draft a communique which will be presented to 
our national institutions for their information.  We 
urge all participants to send their inputs to us for 
compilation.  
As promised, Mrs. Nogi Imoukhuede has submitted a 
recommendation on behalf of this conference to the 
Justice Oputa Human Rights Violation Investigation 
Commission, Abuja, Nigeria.  Remember that the 
commission is mandated to submit recommendations to the 
Federal Government on expected institutional changes.
Please find below a text of the recommendation.
Thanks.
J.J. OWA
CONFERENCE CO-ORDINATOR


        NIGERIAN WOMEN'S ECONOMIC RIGHTS MONITORING  
                        GROUP
                                   31st August, 2001

The Human Rights Violation Investigation 
Commission,
Abuja.

RECOMMENDATION FOR GENDER ANALYSIS BEFORE ANY 
GOVERNMENT POLICY OR PROGRAMME

(1)   WHEREAS Nigerian women have been marked 12th on 
      the low human development index of 34 countries
      AND though women make up 49.6% of the population,
      they have remained in the bottom 30% of the
      poorest citizens.  Nigerian women lag behind in
      all areas of national development.

(2)   The Nigerian Women's Economic Rights Monitoring
      Group recommends that all levels of Government
      should include a gender perspective in all their
      policies and programmes.

(3)   What is Gender Mainstreaming?
      Mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process
      of assessing the implications for women and men
      of any planned action including legislation,
      policies or programmes, in any area and all 
      levels.  It is a strategy for making women as well
      as men's concern and experiences an integral part
      of the design, implementation, monitoring and
      evaluation of the polcies and programme, in all
      political, economic and societal sphere so that
      women and men can benefit equally and inequality
      is not perpetuated.  The ultimate goal is to 
      achieve gender equality.

(4)   The Nigerian Women's Economic Rights Monitoring 
      Group recommends that our national institutions -
      The Presidency, National and State Assembly, the
      Federal and State Executives, Federal Office of
      Statistics, National and State Planning 
      Commissions should always conduct a gender 
      analysis of all policies and programmes in order
      to narrow the Gender Gap in Nigeria.

(5)   The Nigerian Women's Economic Rights Monitoring 
      Group is a network of 210 NGOs and civil
      Organisations.
      Thanks.
      MRS. NOGI IMOUKHUEDE
      (CO-ORDINATOR)