Empowering women and positioning them in the centre of economy is pivotal to sustainable development. However, many women particularly in developing countries like Nigeria have been excluded form income generating opportunities because of the lack of prerequisite education and skills. To mitigate these challenges, Dr. Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, the First lady of Nigeria, soon after her husband assumed office, set up the Aisha Buhari Foundation to champion the cause of women, through improved healthcare, economic empowerment, and education. Through the Future Assured Initiative, the flagship program of the Foundation, she draws attention to the plight of women. She advocates for access to healthcare, girl child education, financial inclusion, increased social protection, and increased representation of women in politics. She also speaks out strongly against gender-based violence.
Since the inception of the Future Assured Initiative, over two thousand women have been trained in one vocational skill or the other to increase their earning potential and competitiveness in the workplace. In 2017, working with the wives of governors in the country, the Governor’s Wife Advocacy Coalition (GWAC) was established to cascade the advocacy to the grass roots. The wives of governors also
champion the cause of women and youths in their respective states; they advocate for policies and laws that would end discrimination and harmful practices against women. Through the effort of the GWAC, laws prohibiting violence against women have been enacted or ratified in some states.
All these activities are geared towards, alleviating poverty and discrimination among woman with the goal of reducing gender inequality and
achieving sustainable development.
