By| Goodluck E.Adubazi | Abuja.
Strong calls for greater women’s representation in leadership, fair wages and safer workplaces dominated discussions on Wednesday as labour leaders, government officials and international partners gathered in Abuja to commemorate International Women’s Day.
The event, organized by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Women Commission, focused on the theme “Empowering Women: The Path to Equal Rights and Economic Justice.” Speakers highlighted persistent gender inequalities in the labour market while urging deliberate policies to advance women’s participation in politics, leadership and the economy.
Country Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Vanessa Phala-Moyo, said the global body remains committed to promoting social justice in the world of work.
She noted that while progress has been recorded in some sectors, women’s participation in key institutions and political leadership in Nigeria remains low.
“We are yet to see women leading in many political spaces. It is high time Nigeria had a woman Inspector General of Police, a woman governor and even a woman president,” Phala-Moyo said, expressing optimism that such milestones would eventually be achieved.
She also warned that despite technological advancements and opportunities in emerging sectors like the digital, green and care economies, women still face structural barriers including gender pay gaps, occupational segregation and limited access to social protection.
According to her, deliberate policies are required to remove discriminatory norms, strengthen labour market institutions and invest in women’s skills development to ensure they benefit from the evolving world of work.
Social Protection Key to Economic Justice
Director-General of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Mayomi Faleye, described women’s empowerment as both a moral obligation and an economic necessity.
Faleye praised the TUC Women Commission for amplifying the voices of women in the labour movement, noting that the sector remains largely male dominated.
“When women are empowered with equal opportunities, fair wages and safe working conditions, societies become stronger and economies more resilient,” he said.
Faleye emphasized the importance of social protection mechanisms such as the Employee Compensation Scheme, which provides workplace protection and support for workers, particularly women who often bear the greatest impact of workplace vulnerabilities.
He urged employers to adopt the scheme and encouraged women in workplaces to continue advocating for policies that protect their rights and welfare.
President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Festus Osifo, said the organization has taken deliberate steps to improve women’s representation in its leadership structures.
According to him, women previously held only a few positions in the union’s National Executive Council, but reforms have significantly increased their presence.
“Today we have more than 15 women serving as vice chairpersons across state councils, about eight women as secretaries and, for the first time, women chairing state councils in Lagos, ICT and Ekiti,” Osifo said.
He stressed that meaningful change requires intentional policies, noting that many female university graduates outperform their male counterparts but rarely reach leadership positions due to systemic barriers.
Osifo also called for cultural change within families and institutions, urging both fathers and mothers to raise children in ways that promote gender equality.
Earlier, National Chairperson of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria Women Commission, Esther Asabe Ahmadu, said empowering women is essential to achieving sustainable development and global equality.
She noted that women continue to face challenges such as gender-based violence, unequal access to resources and the undervaluation of unpaid labour.
“It is time we demand economic justice — a world where women’s labour is fairly compensated, where women have access to credit, can own property and fully participate in decision-making,” Ahmadu said.
She urged governments, employers and labour unions to implement gender-sensitive policies that promote women’s entrepreneurship, political participation and protection from workplace discrimination and
call for continued advocacy.
Participants agreed that while progress has been made, sustained advocacy, policy reforms and collective action are required to close gender gaps in Nigeria’s labour market.
Speakers concluded that empowering women will not only improve livelihoods but also strengthen national development and economic growth.
“Together we can build a future where every woman can participate fully, earn fairly, work safely and live with dignity,” Phala-Moyo said.
