By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, in what appeared as a parting gift to women, approved the mainstreaming of Women Economic Empowerment Policy.

The approval was sequel to a memo from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen disclosed this to State House correspondents, at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

She explained that the policy would guard the interest of womenfolk in economic decision making programmes.

She said women constitute over 50 per cent of the nation’s population hence are the surest way to national development.

According to her, “If 50 per cent of the population is neglected, it means the country cannot develop optimally, it’s like a country walking with one leg,” she stated in her remarks.

She said, “The Federal Executive Council has approved the WEE Policy. The WEE Policy is Women Economic Empowerment. It is policy dialogue that we’ve been working on for over one year.

“We’ve traverse round the country, to the 36 states, having dialogues with the private sector, rural dwellers, to find the best way to empower women and get them into the mainstream of nation building.

“This has been a dream we’ve been pursuing and finally, Mr. President gave the stamp, it is a legacy that Mr. President is leaving behind by approving this Women Economic Empowerment to help get women into the mainstream of financial plans to ensure that women are carried along in nation building”.