A Non-Governmental Organization, Stand To End Rape (STER), on Wednesday gathered critical stakeholders in Abia State to discuss ways to increase women’s participation in politics.
In her opening speech during the town hall meeting, which was held in collaboration with the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs and the German Embassy in Nigeria, with the theme “Amplifying Women Participation in Politics: With a Special Focus on the Special Seat Bill,” Communication Officer Elfreda Adeleye said, “We are here to encourage women’s participation in politics.
“We noticed that women are not fully represented at the National Assembly. Only 7% of lawmakers in Nigeria are women, and that does not reflect much based on the population of Nigeria, where women make up almost half of the population.”
According to her, the event aimed to understand why women are not well represented in Nigerian politics and how it can be improved, specifically in Abia, a progressive state, especially with an Abian at the National Assembly, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ben Kalu, championing the cause.
Also speaking, the Programme Manager, Muhammed Husseni, stressed the need to bridge the knowledge gap so that critical stakeholders can be involved and called for special seat reservations for women and those with disabilities.
According to him, calling for the seats is a temporary measure to address women’s under-representation in the political process, after women have been trained to improve their capacity. He emphasised that this is not a solution but a corrective measure.
The State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Regina Iruoha, described the issue as serious, pointing out that the biggest impediment to women’s participation in politics is often men and their husbands, for the married women.
She said NOA has taken the campaign to secondary schools “to catch them young and change their mindset, as well as remove stigmatisation.”
In their various presentations, veteran radio presenter Ozioma Chike Ukagha, the Chief Press Secretary to a former Deputy Governor in the state, Obasi Onwuka, and the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Victor Ndukwe, emphasised the need for the media to spearhead the campaign for increased women’s participation in politics.
Ozioma Ukagha urged the media in the state to tell stories about women to motivate future female leaders through balanced news coverage, while Obasi Onwuka stated that if passed, bills on increased women’s participation in politics would open the door for them. He added, “In present-day Nigeria, women are neglected in politics” and urged women in the state to come together to present their political ambitions.
According to Victor Ndukwe, women must learn to engage themselves and their male counterparts to achieve their goals, stressing that they must stand up to be counted.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
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