Stakeholders at the 8th Voice Of Women, (VOW), conference and award in Abuja, have called on President Bola Tinubu and members of the National Assembly, to lend their voices towards uplifting the participation of women in politics especially at the grassroots.
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Convener of the conference and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Women Radio 91.7 FM, Toun Sonaiya, said that it is important for Mr. President to lend his voice to the struggle for political emancipation of women especially as the number of women holding elective office continues to dwindle.

She noted that the theme of the conference ‘National Dialogue of Grassroots and Urban women: Achieving Women’s Inclusion for a Sustainable Nigeria’, speaks to the urgent need for women’s inclusion in politics in all areas of endeavours to drive development and sustainability.

“I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lend his voice and political will to getting the 74 extra seats bill passed by the 10th National Assembly. We need you to be deliberate and intentional using your Voice and Political Will to do more and elevate Nigerian women’s inclusion to global standards,” she said.

Sonaiya who lamented that very few women are said to have applied for the Nigeria’ Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), implored mothers at the meeting to encourage their daughters to tap into the fund to better their educational pursuits. “Our journey as women towards an inclusive and sustainable Nigeria is far from over, but our focus on the bigger picture must remain unwavering for future generations of women.”
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UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, pointed that “Women at every level of society have the unique ability to shape lives, especially women at the grassroots. They are able to redefine norms. They are able to create systems of governance.”

Represented by the UN Women National Programme Officer, Patience Ekeoba, she said, “we must acknowledge that women’s empowerment is not merely a matter of equality, but a foundation for sustainable development, inclusive governance and resilient society.”

Noting that Nigerian women have no safety nets for to fall back on, Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, said women must support each other to boost their political standing so that they can speak to women issues.

Also speaking Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyekocha, said that there is need to connect with rural women, who play critical roles in nation building. According to her, “these women are the backbone of their societies and therefore play very important role in politics.”
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