Spotlight on gender issues during Nalafem Summit

With the release of our latest policy brief on gender equality and safe and secure mobility, our leaders have been working hard to establish the linkages between road safety and the Global Goals. Olulfunke Afesojaye (Nigeria), one of our SDG Champions for Gender Equality in Road Safety, joined the Nalafem Summit last July 1 to represent the Youth Coalition.

The Nalafem Summit creates a platform for convening Nigerian feminists across the African continent. According to Nala Feminist Collective (NalaFEM), “the forum aims to foster, enable, and mobilize women and girls across Africa and the diaspora in solidarity with Nigerian activists.” It also provides a space for advocacy, mentorship, solidarity, and partnerships. 

This year, the summit featured renowned activists and gender advocates  Aisha Yesufu,  Abiola Akinyode, Djibril Dialo, and Natasha Kagumirea. Also present were stakeholders like the Minister of Women Affairs and the  Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nation in the person of H.E Amb. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Mr. Sam Itode, and many others.

Olufunke joined these esteemed participants as a delegate for the Summit. Speaking with different leaders and representatives present, she shared some key facts and figures about how women are more at risk in the event of road traffic crashes. She also shared some case studies that shed light on the aftermath of women in the face of unsafe road infrastructure, unsustainable modes of transport, and a mobility system that was designed for the opposite sex.

Despite the present situation women are subject to on the road, Olufunke shared that there have been efforts to address these issues through organizations like Nala and us, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety.

With other participants, she shared the Global Youth Statement for Road Safety and the Youth Coalition Policy Briefs as resources that help elevate the call for ending gender discrimination, promoting intergenerational co-leadership, and inclusive, equitable and quality education, especially on road safety and sustainable mobility.

Olufunke had also shared conversations about how road crashes are the leading cause of death among young people and how it connects with sustainable development.

As a delegate, she discussed how road safety relates to the rest of the Global Goals and how young people play a crucial role in achieving the SDG targets in road safety and in other areas. She shared how the Youth Coalition, through the SDG champions, has developed policy briefs as advocacy tools that connect road safety with the wider SDG Agenda.

“We call on decision-makers at the international, national, regional, and local levels to foster systematic and meaningful youth participation at all stages of policymaking to proactively deliver intergenerational equity.  Build alliances and develop a common agenda with other NGOs who work on road safety or interlinking agendas and  SDGs such as climate action, sustainable cities, health, and gender equality.”

Find out more about road safety and the SDGs by checking out the links below!