Here is a speech presented by Gen. Buhari today at a town hall meeting with professional women in Lagos.

''Nigerian women have always played a visible and competent role in nation building. In addition to their various activities, which sustained
communities in pre-colonial times, they also played key roles in the struggles for independence and the political processes that followed. However,these very important roles, whilst widely documented, have not been fully appreciated.
In 1995 the 4th United Nations World Conference on Women took place in Beijing, China.The
conference was unprecedented, both in terms of its sheer scale, and in its outcomes. It represented a new dawn in the search for gender justice and equality, and it gave women around the world a serious political, technical and analytical tool with which to demand for
accountability from governments and institutions
responsible for advancing gender equality globally.Twenty years after Beijing, women in Nigeria have not fully benefitted from the promises made by
governments at the Beijing conference. There is still discrimination against women in public institutions and in the private sphere, and women still lack the same freedoms as men, particularly in the fields of education, economic empowerment and political participation. Nigeria still has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world,and there are now very alarming rates of violence against women and girls. Due to the activities of
agents of the Boko Haram insurgency, we have seen hundreds of our daughters and wives kidnapped, killed and displaced.I am on a mission to restore Nigeria’s fading glory and reposition our great nation on the path to greatness. I am however aware that this will
not be possible without addressing the needs and
concerns of those who constitute half of the population of this country – women. No nation can prosper without a commitment to the empowerment of women and girls. As the father of a number of beautiful, promising young women, I should know what it means to want the very best
for my own daughters. I do not expect any of my daughters to live unfulfilled, with their talents
wasted and ignored, suffering discrimination at every turn, and rendered second-class citizens all because they happen to be female.

An APC government, under my leadership, is therefore committed to the following:

a) Ensuring that gender is mainstreamed throughout all the government’s commitments in
key areas such as the economy, education,health, security, good governance, power,agriculture and other areas of national
development.

b) Implementation of the 2005 National Gender Policy, which serves as a roadmap for the promotion of women’s empowerment and gender equality in Nigeria. So far, there has been no political will to implement this very critical
framework.

c) Promotion of anti-discrimination legislations and policies to afford women equality and equity, especially in employment, education,
housing and entrepreneurship.

d) We shall commit ourselves to merit based Affirmative Actions to level the playing field for women, and provide them with opportunities to be part of decision-making and governance at all levels.

e)We will include Gender as a component of the Federal Character.

f) There will be strong political will to promote Women’s Empowerment and Gender
Equality through dedicating the required financial,human and technical resources toward this goal.

g)We will make a concerted effort to empower women in rural areas, who constitute the
majority of the Nigerian women.

h)We will insist on legislation to ensure a woman’s right to own and inherit property on an
equal basis with men.

i )We will enforce legal protection for the rights of the girl-child in all areas of religious,
social and economic life, protecting her right to
dignity, shelter and choice.

j) My administration will have zero tolerance for violence against women and girls. We will provide women with greater legal protection from all forms of violence and sexual harassment, and there will be a commitment to the implementation of all existing legislation on
violence against women.

k) We will improve and strengthen support for women in all sectors of the economy, through access to capital, training and skills acquisition.
We will also ensure that women have better access to capital and credit facilities for their
businesses.

This is an abridged presentation of what I have in store for Nigerian women; there are, of course,many other important issues I am sure you would
like to see addressed. I believe that the most important commitment I can make to Nigerian women is that they can count on strong political will from my administration, to ensure that women’s rights are safeguarded and protected.We will not be an administration that only empowers a token number of women who are in
no way representative of the vast majority ofwomen in this country. Ours will be an
administration that will consciously and consistently provide opportunities for as many women as possible, bearing in mind that our
nation’s development depends on this strategy.We will promote a culture of peace and a respect
for the fundamental human rights of women and girls.
Ours will be an administration that firmly believes that women hold up half the sky.My vision is for my daughters, and your
daughters, to enjoy a world in which discrimination will be a thing of the distant past.It might be a long journey, but with your support and votes, we will be on the right path together.Nigerian women have been promised so much for so long. I stand before you now to make a solemn promise that I will not take you or your votes for granted. After all, it is impossible for me to clap with one hand.

Thank You.
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd.), GCFR
APC Presidential Candidate

What do you think of his speech?

"Mouth-watering"

#TeamChange

I just keep lovin GMB day by day,i cant wait anymore to vote for him next week SAI BABA

Na only Lagos GMB dey do campaign, make we know if only laagos go save him

An APC government, under my leadership, is therefore committed to the following:
a) Ensuring that gender is mainstreamed throughout all the government’s commitments in
key areas...
b) Implementation of the 2005 National Gender Policy...
c) Promotion of anti-discrimination legislations and policies...
d) We shall commit ourselves to merit based Affirmative Actions...
e)We will include Gender as a component of the Federal Character...
f) There will be strong political will to promote Women’s Empowerment and Gender
Equality...
g)We will make a concerted effort to empower women in rural areas...
h)We will insist on legislation to ensure a woman’s right to own and inherit property on an
equal basis with men.
j) My administration will have zero tolerance for violence against women and girls...
k) We will improve and strengthen support for women in all sectors of the economy...

I don't know how PDP/GEJ will beat this. Empowering women is beyond appointing your bedwarmers into the cabinet and giving 12 cups of rice each to poor women. It takes a lot more and Buhari/APC has the answer.
This is the reassurance:

As the father of a number of beautiful, promising young women, I should know what it means to want the very best
for my own daughters. I do not expect any of my daughters to live unfulfilled, with their talents
wasted and ignored, suffering discrimination at every turn, and rendered second-class citizens all because they happen to be female