TheCable

Invictus Africa, a non-governmental organisation, has launched the “Womanity Index”, an annual ranking and report on the state of gender equality among subnational governments in Africa.

At a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Bukky Shonibare, Invictus Africa’s executive director, said the data is aimed at helping subnational governments know their performance in their efforts to prevent and respond to gender issues in their states.

The first edition of the Womanity Index done in collaboration with BudgIT Foundation is also receiving support from Ford Foundation to cover three countries in West Africa — Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal.

According to Shonibare, Womanity Index is based on five key issues affecting women and girls, including gender-based violence, women’s health, girl-child education, women’s economic empowerment, and women’s political representation. 

“Womanity Index adopts both qualitative and quantitative approaches carried out through field and technology-based data collection, surveys, key informant interviews, desk research, and expert contributions,” Shonibare said.

“This helps to understand contexts, identify gaps and challenges, and proffer actionable recommendations tailored to each state. 

“The ranking and report are based on 20 indicators drawn from five indexes, namely: laws and policies, access to legal justice, support systems, information and awareness, and budget allocations and spending. 

“Following the release of the Womanity Index, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with some states while providing technical support to them as they implement their state-specific recommendations.

“The Womanity Index is novel as it helps subnational governments, as primary duty bearers know their performance in their efforts to prevent and respond to GBV in their states, the gaps and challenges that impede their performance, and the specific actionable recommendations which, when implemented, will result in ensuring laws and policies guarantee GBV prevention, effective support systems, and allocation of adequate budget and spending to address gender-based violence.”

According to Olufunke Baruwa, program officer for gender, racial, and ethnic justice at Ford Foundation’s West Africa office, “the support by Ford Foundation is in furtherance of its strategy to support cross-sector strategic collaborations and strengthen women’s rights organizations in leading agendas that address the systems and structures that drive gender-based violence”.

“Gender-based violence prevention and response requires a multi-sectoral approach and, as such, government at all levels as the principal institution with the resources, reach, and funds, need to take the lead in driving efforts to address GBV,” she said

“The Womanity Index, therefore, helps provide the baseline for that to happen effectively and efficiently.”