Stakeholders advocate increased women participation in policymaking

• Setback as gap in political opportunities widens

Stakeholders have advocated the implementation of gender-inclusive policy-making to address the challenges facing women in the country.

This was as Women Trust Fund (WTF) observed that the widening gender gap in political opportunities would worsen issues for women.

In a communiqué issued after a high-level stakeholders’ event tagged #WhatNaijaWomenWant campaign, hosted by Gatefield, supported by Heinrich Boll Stiftung Foundation, the stakeholders, comprising representatives of the executive and legislative arms of government, the federal civil service, as well as civil society and the private sector allies, called for increased women representation in policymaking and other spheres of national life.

Special Initiatives Lead at Gatefield, Joy Una, who signed the communiqué, lamented that Nigerian women, who constitute nearly half the population, remain underrepresented in policymaking.

This lack of representation, Una noted, has resulted in policies that fail to adequately address the distinct challenges faced by women.

She said: “In Nigeria, 98 per cent of women lack access to finance and economic opportunities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks Nigeria as the fourth worst country for maternal wellbeing. Sixty per cent of the 20 million out-of-school children are girls, and one in three Nigerian women has experienced Gender-Based Violence (GBV).”

According to her, the #WhatNaijaWomenWant campaign, a collaborative effort between Gatefield, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation and various civil society organisations, mobilised over 3,000 Nigerian women to make five key demands encompassing policy and political interventions that will benefit Nigerian women, addressing key areas such as increased economic empowerment, an end to maternal mortality, increased political representation, elimination of GBV and protection of women in conflict settings.

The Director, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Foundation, Jochen Luckscheiter, observed that women participation in politics had been in a downward spiral since 2011.

The Deputy Director of Research, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Mrs Ngozi Okorie, described women in policymaking as a very strong issue of concern, adding that women’s political participation is beyond political aspiration.

Representative of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Habibah Abdullahi, said in a country where the plight of women is detrimental, there is a need for women to come together and give their quota.

MEANWHILE, Chief Executive Officer, WTF, Brenda Anugwom, has observed that the widening gender gap in political opportunities, in elective and appointive positions in the country, will make the coming political years more challenging for women.

Anugwom, who made this observation in a chat, in Abuja, said the body would ensure that in decision-making, both genders were well represented and their perspectives considered in policy making, project implementation and other decisions that affect the lives of every human.

Recalling that the fund was established to provide aspiring women with technical support towards their political campaigns, irrespective of political affiliations, she said: “With the widening gender gap in political opportunities in both elective and appointive positions, the mandate for not just me but other leading women advocates and groups has to hinge on our commitment to empowering women and advancing gender equality in Nigeria.

“This widening gap, of course, will make the coming years even more challenging, but we have a burning commitment to ensure women’s voices are heard and are accorded the opportunity to contribute their very best towards the development of Nigerian society.”