First Lady Remi Tinubu addresses African First Ladies High-level Forum at UNGA ’78

The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday, urged other First Ladies at the 78th United Nations General Assembly, to work tirelessly to eliminate all forms of violence against women which often serves as a barrier to their full participation in society in their respective nations.

Addressing the first ladies at the 78th UNGA, she said: “Our world today is rigged with conflict, uncertainty and division. And therefore, the pursuit of peace, is a collective responsibility. This is not bearing the absence of war, but the presence of justice, equity and harmony. Every individual regardless of their gender, should be able to thrive in an environment free from violence and discrimination.”

“The journey towards lasting peace requires dialogue, the engagement and empowerment of all members of society, in particular, women in leadership roles. Women bring unique perspectives, qualities, compassion and experiences to the table which can play a transformative role in conflict resolution, peacebuilding and sustainable development.”

“Women as activists and advocates of peace, deal with conflicts non-violently by pursuing democracy and human rights. As peacekeepers and relief aid workers, we contribute to reducing indirect violence as mediators, trauma healing counsellors and policymakers, women work to transform relationships and address the of violence.”

Finally, as educators and participants of the development process, women contribute to building the capacity of their communities and nations to prevent violent conflicts. The year 2020, marked the 20th anniversary of the unanimous adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution on women’s peace and security. The African Union and its member states have promoted the women’s peace security agenda through several guidance and frameworks, despite the stealthy progress that has been made with women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding, efforts and gender equality in peace and security has been slow.”

“As first ladies in Africa, we play a pivotal role in driving the agenda for peace in our respective countries. As mothers of our nations, our respect is often different from that of the men. We must strive to make an impact through our various programmes to ensure justice and equity prevail in our nations. We have a soft power to make the impact and we must not shy away from using that power. We must strive to promote gender equity, and promote and enforce policies that ensure equal opportunities for women in all spheres of life from education to politics to business. We must support women in leadership, provide mentorship, training and resources to empower women to assume leadership roles and confidently. Also, we should end violence against women, work tirelessly to eliminate all forms of violence against women which often serves as a barrier to their full participation in the society. We must engage men as allies, encourage men to actively support gender equality and advocate for women’s inclusion in leadership positions.”

Remi Tinubu turned 63 on Thursday.