WOMEN TOWN PLANNERS SEEK INCLUSIVENESS BEYOND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

A call has gone out to stakeholders to support policies and initiatives that promote women inclusiveness and amplify their voices in their daily lives.

This call was made by the Chairperson, Ogun State Chapter of the Association of Women Town Planners in Nigeria (AWIPIN), TPl Olufunmilayo Adegunle during the commemoration of the 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) Celebration, held at Waheed Kadiri House, which is the State Headquarters of Nigerian Institute of Townplanners (NITP) in Leme, Abeokuta.

Represented by the Vice Chairperson, TPl Abosede Oguntuyo, the Chairperson noted that women in the town planning profession have played pivotal roles in shaping towns and cities through their dedication to urban planning and development, calling on stakeholders to create enabling environment for women to thrive.

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Delivering a paper on the 2024 IWD theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, Dr Joseph Onabanjo noted that investing in women would not only enhance their individual opportunities and livelihoods, but would also drive positive social and economic outcomes for communities and nations.

Onabanjo therefore called on men to get actively involved and support women in demolishing barriers and dismantling stereotypes, saying achieving full equality was a continuous work in progress.

“We must invest by giving schoolgirls the same opportunities as boys, providing digital education, helping them to develop skills, and also providing childcare services that allows women, who are primary caregivers in the home, the chance to pursue paid labour”, Onabanjo emphasized.

Also speaking, the Chairman of NITP, Adefala Sogbesan stated that women’s healthcare should be prioritized, alongside their leadership, economic and financial development in society.

He stressed that discrimination should be eradicated from leadership roles, advocating for more inclusion of women in decision-making processes. He noted that women’s ideas, proven effective in home-building, hold potential for national development.