Change Movement Nigeria has vehemently condemned what it called “the latest move to institutionalise gender discrimination against women in the Nigerian Army.”

The condemnation was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos, signed by the group’s Chair and Leader, Damilola Adegoke.

It said: “The policy orchestrated by the Nigerian Army high command to phase out the training of female regular combatant cadets and to effectively prevent the admission of women into the regular combatant unit is retrogressive and must be resisted by all.

“The quest for gender equality gained a new victory in 2011 when women were first admitted into the regular combatant unit as cadets. These women did not disappoint as three of them won three awards, including the best award in the navy category.”

Continuing, the Movement said: “Against all odds, these women proved that there is no reason to prevent women from participating in the regular combatant training programme. It is therefore shocking that, the Military high command could cancel this programme, thereby destroying the gains made by Nigerian women so far.

“Whatever reasons alluded for this obnoxious decision will never fly in the face of justice and reason.

“As a group, we believe in the equality of all humans and we strongly condemn every attempt to discriminate against people because of their gender.

“The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), adopted in 1981 and its Women’s Rights Protocol of 2003 to which Nigeria is a signatory country clearly does not support any form of gender discrimination.

“We hereby urge the Nigerian Government to retract this policy. We also call upon all progressive Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria and all progressive citizens of the country to stand against this backward and retrogressive policy.”

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