Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, has called for urgent steps to advance gender equality in the country, she flagged off the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) commemoration under the theme: “Accelerate Action”.

After this IWD commemoration, she’s scheduled to attend the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women which will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 21 March 2025.

Speaking at the commemoration event, the minister emphasized the need for swift policy implementation, emphasising that progress needs to be beyond rhetorics.

“This is a rallying call for deliberate, decisive, and bold action to break barriers, close gaps, and empower Nigerian women and girls to take their rightful place in every sphere of society,” Hajia Suleiman-Ibrahim stated.

The minister also announced that she would lead Nigeria’s delegation to the upcoming UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), where the country will showcase its achievements, strengthen global partnerships, and push for accelerated action on gender issues.

“This year’s IWD holds special significance as Nigeria marks 30 years of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, a legacy of the Beijing Platform for Action,” she noted.

The minister commended the government’s increased budget allocation for women’s affairs, stating that the additional resources would help strengthen policies on women’s inclusion and empowerment.

According to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the main focus of the sixty-ninth session will be on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly.

“In 2025, the global community will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995)”, the body’s website stated.

Hajia Suleiman-Ibrahim will be joining other representatives from other Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world.