Twenty-seven years after the commencement of the current democratic journey, Enugu women under the auspices of Loudest Voices for Mbah, yesterday, lamented their inability to occupy senatorial positions in the state, and appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to address the development in the spirit of 35 per cent affirmative action.

Addressing reporters in Enugu, the leader of the group, Mrs Onyinye Joy Mammah, stated that they had not been able to produce a woman senator since 1999, stressing that there was no way women could contribute meaningfully to the development of the state and country in general when they had been systematically schemed out in the decision-making process.

She called on the governor to use the by-election for the senatorial election in Enugu North, as well as the coming 2027 general elections, to ensure political balance, as well as women’s inclusion in elective and decision-making organs in the state.

Mammah, the Executive Director of Heroine Women Foundation (HWF), insisted that the system had not allowed women in the state to enjoy the 35 per cent affirmative action, which prescribed the number of elective positions reserved for women.

MEANWHILE, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Abba-Isa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing economic empowerment for women with disabilities across Nigeria.

He made the pledge during the second policy dialogue on disability-inclusive economic empowerment organised by the Empower To Thrive Development Initiative (ETTDI) under its Empower Her Ability Project, supported by the Embassy of France in Nigeria.

Represented by his Director of Media and Communications, Mr Lanre Oloyede, the Presidential aide emphasised that the inclusion of persons with disabilities in national development is a priority for the government. He highlighted ongoing programmes under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), including Empower, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GENES), and conditional cash transfers targeting vulnerable populations, with deliberate efforts to prioritise women with disabilities.

He further stressed the need for strict enforcement of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act and alignment with global commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).