Don advocates for gender-sensitive policies for inclusive national development

A professor at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Yemisi Ibiwunmi Ogunlela, has called for gender-sensitive public policies and transformative governance to address inequality and ensure equal opportunities for men and women to contribute to national development.

Ogunlela made the call on Thursday while delivering the university’s 44th inaugural lecture, titled “She’s a Beautiful Baby, He’s a Bouncing Baby: Implications for Public Policy and Development Administration.”

The professor, from the Department of Public Administration, argued that gender inequality extends beyond cultural beliefs and individual discrimination to the structures and practices of public institutions.

He noted that policies and institutional arrangements often translate biological differences into unequal access to education, health care, employment, and leadership opportunities.

According to her, everyday expressions used to describe newborns reflect societal expectations that can shape their lives from infancy. While girls are commonly associated with beauty and domestic responsibilities, boys are linked with strength and success.

She explained that when these descriptions become ingrained expectations, they can influence educational and career choices, professional advancement, and access to leadership positions.

Highlighting gender-related development challenges in Nigeria, Ogunlela identified maternal mortality, women’s limited participation in decisions about their reproductive health and their underrepresentation in political leadership as issues requiring urgent attention.

He therefore underlined that such challenges should be addressed through effective public administration, institutional reforms and respect for human rights, together with cultural and health interventions.

Ogunlela warned that policies presented as gender-neutral could perpetuate inequality if they do not take into account the different circumstances of men and women.

She cited promotion systems that reward uninterrupted career progression, explaining that such arrangements could be a disadvantage for women, who often bear a disproportionate share of unpaid care responsibilities.

To address disparities, she urged governments and public institutions to collect and use gender-disaggregated data to identify inequalities and design policies responsive to the needs of different population groups.

He also advocated a shift from what he described as “reproductive stewardship” to “transformative stewardship” that critically examines established systems and seeks more just and effective outcomes.

Its recommendations included integrating gender considerations into development plans, investing in girls, improving maternal and reproductive health care, and strengthening collaboration between ministries responsible for health, education, infrastructure and finance.

He also urged policymakers to go beyond treating everyone identically and provide support that reflects different needs, while removing structural barriers that sustain inequality.

“The goal is not to make men and women identical, but to ensure that a child’s sex does not determine the quality of opportunities available to them.”

In his remarks, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, described the inaugural lectures as important platforms to share knowledge, examine national challenges and contribute to policy development.

Mafiana commended Ogunlela for highlighting the relationship between gender relations, public policy and national development, saying it is relevant to Nigeria’s development priorities and stressed the need to translate research findings into practical measures that improve governance and institutional performance.