The Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women, Ms Michelle Bachelet, is visiting Nigeria on Thursday to seek ways of ending violence against women, an official said on Wednesday.
The visit would also seek to promote women’s economic and political rights. In a statement, the UN Women’s Communication Adviser, Mr Ikechukwu Attah, said the proposed visit would highlight the need for increases in women’s participation in development process.
It stated that the executive director would use the visit to call for a robust and effective policy that could ensure women’s full participation in the economy and political decision making in the country.
The statement also states that the visit came after the UN General Assembly approved the banning of female genital cutting, which was prevalent in many African countries.
It added that the visit would be an opportunity for African leaders to ensure they put an end to all forms of violence against women. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the visit is Bachelet’s first official visit to West Africa and Nigeria. The UN Women is a UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. (NAN)