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ElectHer seeks to improve female participation in politics

By Ijeoma Thomas-Odia
12 November 2022   |   2:54 am
To encourage women’s participation in politics, a non-partisan group, ElectHer is poised to support women seeking election into political offices in the country.

To encourage women’s participation in politics, a non-partisan group, ElectHer is poised to support women seeking election into political offices in the country.

The group, through its Agender35, also unveiled eight aspirants vying for state and federal legislative seats in the 2023 general election across political parties.

According to the Founder/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organisation, Ibijoke Faborode, its aim is to ensure that a solutions-oriented approach is taken till more women get elected into political positions. She also noted that lack of a suitable ecosystem was culpable for the low percentage of women in public offices.

She said: “Most times when women run for political offices, they run alone; but the truth is, they need an ecosystem with people of like-minds who possess the needed resources to be able to scale through. This is a sisterhood; we are trying to build a community, and we are doing this to ensure an ecosystem is built, one that will improve their access to resources, including financial, social, technical and much more.

“Nigeria is not short of outstanding, intelligent, resilient or amazing women. We are seeing this in the private sector with the continued rise of women into board positions and also women becoming successful entrepreneurs. How much of these potentials are we seeing in politics?

“At ElectHer, we believe it is impossible for any one organisation to stem this tide alone. We need an army. That is why today, we are presenting these political office contenders before this gathering of influential women. Most times when women run, they run alone. The truth is that they need an ecosystem with people of like-minds who possess the needed resources to be able to pull through.”

Speaking on Agenda35, Faborode said the initiative was launched in 2021 in response to in-depth researches and discussions with female political office seekers.

A member of the advisory council of Agender35 at ElectHer, Blessing Adesiyan, said she was focused on driving women to positions of power and keeping them there.

Adesiyan, who also doubles as the CEO of Mother Honestly, a women and family-focused organisation, urged women to tap into their innate power when faced with tough situations, adding that there was need for active women voices across the country.

Among candidates unveiled at the event which featured a panel session titled ‘Building a Quality Female Community Bloc and Improving the Number of Female Voters’, were Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, Delta State House of Assembly candidate, PDP; Hawwah Abdullahi Gambo, ADC House of Representatives candidate, Kaduna State; Juliet Isi Ikhayere, ADC House of Representatives candidate, AMAC/Bwari Constituency, Abuja North and Similoluwa Olusola, PDP Ekiti State House of Assembly candidate.

Others were Rukayat Shittu Motunrayo, APC Kwara State House of Assembly candidate; Munira Suleiman Tanimu, APC Kaduna State House of Assembly candidate; Zahra’u Basheer, PRP House of Representatives candidate, Kano State and Joyce Ehinogie Daniels, PDP Esan Central Chairmanship candidate, Edo State.

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