PIC unveils ‘The Purple Book’ to drive Gender Equality, Inclusion in Nigeria

The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has unveiled its Purple Book, to help cross-sectoral stakeholders explore transformative ways to achieve gender equality (SDG 4) in Nigeria.

Tagged ‘From Voices to Action’, the Purple Book is a curation of policy and programme recommendations from the PIC’s maiden Gender and Inclusion Summit (GS-22) held in Abuja in 2022. The inaugural event convened stakeholders drawn from the public, private and development sectors to deliver gender-responsive programmes in their respective spaces, thus creating a pathway to achieve an inclusive society where no one is denied access to resources, opportunities or decision-making power on the basis of gender.

NESG CEO, ‘Laoye Jaiyeola, emphasised that the recommendations in the Purple Book align with best practices for delivering gender programmes, and will facilitate inclusion and diversity while connecting the dots for an equitable society. He said: “Our commitment at the Summit was to deliver a PURPLE BOOK. Today is a very important day as we deliver on that commitment. This book serves as a reference document that helps people reflect on the conversations at the summit and take actionable recommendations they can use to deliver gender-responsive programs within their organization and in Government. As we know, there is still much to be done, and much responsibility lies upon us to create the inclusive society we all seek. Fostering gender equality will require continuous collaboration between governments, private and public sectors, civil society organizations, and communities, recognizing and addressing the intersecting forms of discrimination and working towards creating a society where all individuals can enjoy equal rights, opportunities, and freedoms, regardless of their gender.”

At the high-profile event, the PIC also unveiled the theme of its next Gender and Inclusion Summit, set to hold later this year. On this, Mr Jaiyeola added, “The Gender and Inclusion Summit is now an institutionalized annual event where stakeholders within Nigeria and Africa can gather to discuss and deliberate on important steps to take to facilitate gender-inclusive society.

“We are in no doubt that the PIC of the NESG, given its track record of achievements, has curated every idea and recommendation from the Gender and inclusion summit in the Purple book, and this will serve as a working document for actions toward raising the Gender Equality profile of Nigeria.”

Dr. Osasuyi Dirisu, Executive Director of the PIC, reiterated the significance of the launch for Nigeria’s inclusion profile. She said: “The Gender and Inclusion Summit served as a platform to amplify stakeholders' voices about Gender Equality and Inclusion. The Purple Book provides an opportunity for us all to move 'From Voices to Action' by reflecting on approaches to improve the Gender Equality profile of Nigeria.