Speaking in Lagos during the Vanguard Media Limited International Women’s Day Conference, she said it is illogical to neglect women in decision-making processes when they represent half the population.
While delivering on the theme, ‘Walking the talk: Towards a gender balanced polity, the time is now,’ she regretted that despite the progress made so far, gender inequalities, patriarchal ideologies and stereotypes continue to exist in all spheres of Nigerian polity. She insisted that the time has come to change a lot of prejudices and biased ideas about women generally.
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“Some NGOs are already creating associations to foster the political aspirations of women but more must be done to create enabling environments to allow women engage in decision and policy making processes that affect the whole nation.”
Noting that as the next general election approaches, Nigeria cannot afford to leave women behind and getting women into positions of political leadership should be prioritized and treated with urgency.
The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim blamed society’s patriarchal practices for women’s underrepresentation in politics, adding that this development dates back to pre-colonial era.
She charged women to stop seeing themselves as victims but as victors and get the right kind of representation.
For Editor, Vanguard Newspaper, Eze Anaba, Nigeria stands at a political crossroad and as women agitate for equal participation, they will continue to stand for justice, fairness and all other values towards a better life for the people.
Senator Joy Emordi on her part advised female politicians going into politics to be persistent in mobilising people. She encouraged grassroots mobilization adding that they must never be intimidated irrespective of whose ox is gored.
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Emordi who spoke on the first panel session on the theme, ‘Women Empowerment in Nigerian Politics and How We Have Fared’ said to break the bias restricting women from participating in politics; women have to get involved.
Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Jumoke Anifowoshe, urged women to desire and work to occupy any top political office in Nigeria, adding that women must not think they cannot do it. She also advised that women should stop dancing for men alone but participate actively.
While 2023 Presidential aspirant, Khadijat Okunnu-Lamidi, encouraged women to sacrifice for the country through identifying new women in politics, governorship aspirant and former special adviser on communication to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, admonished women to step out and participate actively in politics and leadership role to contribute their potential to the development of the country. She said that it is time to think differently about women candidates and encourage one another to step out and change the narrative. She disclosed that men are considered for political offices based on their potentials while women are considered based on their past achievements. She called for restructuring among political parties in order to accommodate more women participation beyond ‘women leader’ role. Corroborating her views, Country Director, ActionAid, Ene Obi tasked political parties to have 35 percent of political positions reserved for women and 35 percent of appointive positions reserved for women as well.
Former Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Kofoworola Bucknor; former Governorship Aspirant in Imo, Maureen Okafor and other women in politics called for more education for women at the grassroots, saying that it is one of the lacunas that creates less women in politics. Similarly, Okafor said one of the surest ways to change the national trajectory is to fund education and create a better environment around education.
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