As we push for change, we must celebrate Progress. #IWD2020

The 2020 International Women’s Day (IWD) theme - “I am generation equality: Realising women’s rights” marks 25 years since the Beijing Platform for Action. The Beijing Platform set out to remove systemic barriers holding women back from equal participation in both public and private life. Yet in 2020, despite over twenty years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria, culture and weak regulation and legislation continue to impede the progress of women in politics. Female representation in the National Assembly has dropped to an all-time low of less than 5%. However, positive rays of hope exist, with more women running for public office than ever before and more women excelling in the entrepreneurship and tech space. In short, the voice of women is getting louder and IWD represents an opportunity to amplify that yet further. As we mark IWD, the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) proffers the following approaches as key tools for female empowerment and the achievement of the sustainable development goals