GLOBAL GENDER EQUALITY:
BILL Gates’ wife, Melinda, D’Banj, Oprah Winfrey, Femi Kuti, Muhammad Ali, Others Unite…Marks Int’nal Women’s Day
*Joins ONE Campaign Call, Urge World Leaders to End Poverty by Investing on Girls, Women
*Angelique Kidjo, Top Celebrities Sign OPEN letter to show feeling across Global Community
*“Niger, Somalia, Mali, 13 African Nations-toughest places to Born a Girl-Child, Less Education, Access Lack to Opportunities, Minimal Bank Access, Less likely to Earn Salaries as Adults”- ONE’s 2016 Poverty/Sexiest Report
*“ONE’s Poverty is Sexist report shows 20 Toughest Places to be Born a Girl among Poorest Places on the plane”- Nachilala Nkombo, Acting Executive Director of ONE Africa
*“Stop Early Marriages for Girl-Child, Poverty hits Girls/Women than Men, Steals Potential of Generations of Young Women in Developing World”-Koko Master, D’Banj
BY TINA CLOWEL/REPORTER/Jo’ Burg, SOUTH AFRICA & KEMI ALADELU/REPORTER, LAGOS
THE World has united from Africa to Asia, Europe to America: fighting for empowerment for the girl-child, women, exterminating the scourge of poverty, providing opportunities for the female gender in every social aspects of life and ensuring that in adulthood the ladies can earn good wages as salaries without being denied, molested, harassed, abused, short-paid and cheated on the basis of their feminine gender.
It is a huge collaboration among the best award-wining musicians from various countries in Africa, as well as identification, involvement by Oprah Winfrey, greatest Black American Queen of Talk Show, Melinda Gates, philanthropic wife of Bill Gates, leading American multibillionaire, who doubles as co-founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would most certainly add global attention to the plight of women and girl-child in third world countries.
Leading the pack of these musicians to tell the world the pains, sufferings, challenges, oppression, separation, discrimination being experienced daily in Africa through their songs are: Grammy award-winning artiste, Angelique Kidjo, Femi Kuti, multiple finalist Grammy award nominee and several award winner, D’Banj fondly called Koko Master by fans, Bono, Yemi Alade, Muhammad Ali, great boxing living legend and few others on the train already signed for ONE Campaign’s Call for Global Gender Equality.
In commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, influential figures across the world has urged world leaders to act on promises to end extreme poverty faster by investing in girls and women. Other influential figures who have added their voices to the campaign are Charlize Theron, Selmor Mtukudzi, Vanessa Mdee, Victoria Kimani, Amy Poehler, Danai Gurira, Angelique Kidjo, Shonda Rhimes, Jessie J, Colin Farrell and Robert Redford who have also signed ONE’s open letter which shows the incredible strength of feeling across the global community for leaders to step up for girls and women everywhere.
In a press statement made available to Naija Standard, new analysis in ONE’s 2016 Poverty is Sexist report ranks the toughest countries in which to be born a girl, with Republic of Niger topping the
list, followed by Somalia and Mali. Compared to their brothers, girls here have less education, lack access to opportunities, such as opening a bank account, and are less likely to get paid work when they grow up. Sixteen of the 20 countries that top the list are found in Africa, making it imperative for African leaders to fast-track efforts in improving women’s development.
African Musicians’ Verdict, Endorsement in Support of Girl-Child & Women
Nigeria’s Pop star, D’Banj said it will be very pleasant if more girls had the chance to grow up to be empowered women, where all women went to school and were not forced into early marriages. His words: “Extreme poverty is choking the potential of generations of young women in the developing world. Poverty is sexist. It hits girls and women harder than it does boys and men, creating a real urgency that world leaders must address. Women need to be better empowered, especially in areas such as agriculture and healthcare, so that they can contribute their best to the development of Nigeria. Women need better access to land, inputs, better maternal healthcare, among others. That’s
why I’m raising my voice and asking others to do the same.”
Grammy Award-Winning Artist and Activist, Angelique Kidjo said “The future of Africa is in the hands of its young women. If they are educated, they will educate their communities. If they are healthy, they will ensure others grow up healthy. If they are empowered, they will change the world. We can break the cycle of poverty, but we have to invest in girls and women to do it.”
Popular singer, Yemi Alade also added her voice and gave reasons why she is supporting the campaign. She said: “We live in a world where women and girls are most disadvantaged by extreme poverty – on a continent where women and girls are particularly marginalized – socially, economically and legally. Every day, in every corner of the world, they are stopped from reaching their full potential. That is why I was part of ONE’s Strong Girl campaign and that is why I continue to join other leaders to raise my voice today.”
ONE’s Campaign AFRICA
Nachilala Nkombo, Acting Executive Director of ONE Africa said “ONE’s Poverty is Sexist report shows that the 20 toughest places to be born a girl are also among the poorest places on the planet. Until leaders tackle the injustices that pervade the lives of girls and women and invest in fighting poverty, half of the world’s resources will remain untapped and social and economic progress for everyone will be constrained”.
The ONE Campaign’s Poverty is Sexist report calls for policies that ensure legal equality for all and increased access to safe and reliable energy, which will particularly benefit girls and women. There must also be concerted efforts to connect everyone to the internet and further ensure that governments, businesses and civil society open up their own data so the public are able to see and account for progress towards achieving the Global Goals indicators.
