RIGHT GROUPS DEMAND INVOLVING MORE WOMEN IN ELECTIVE AND APPOINTIVE POSITIONS IN NIGERIA
Reporter : CHRISTIAN NWANGENE
Globally, women have been a great source of support to the emergence and enthronement of political leaders in every society due to their numbers and nature. Ironically, they hold a small percentage of seats in the parliament in globally, including Nigeria.
According to United Nation’s Survey, women in Nigeria despite constituting half of the nation’s population occupy less than 10% of political positions, compared to their male counterparts who dominate the political space. Just recently, only one woman was among the 68 coordinators of development centres appointed in Enugu State.
This triggered protest by the women, who marched to government house to register their displeasure about the appointment. Though Enugu State Government promised to address the issue, that however did not fail to indicate the level of discrimination women folks suffer when it comes to giving serious political appointments.
It is important to note that Nigeria is a signatory of the United Nations Convention on all forms of discrimination against Women and also appended her signature to the Beijing Platform of Action, which prescribes 30% seats for women in elective offices; unfortunately, Nigeria is yet to attain this. Reacting on the issues, the Chairperson, League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV) Enugu State Chapter, Dr. Nnenna Anozie, advocated safe political environment that would enable women to run politics the way it ought to be.
Dr. Anozie, while speaking at a one day physical engagement and capacity building for female position aspirants in Enugu State recently, noted that the nature of politics in Nigeria had continued to hinder women from seeking for elective offices and participating actively in political activities. She noted that women were being prepared to vie for elective offices, especially in the upcoming 2023 election.
She urged more women to get involved in political activities while calling on them to engage themselves in activities of political parties, especially at the grassroots to make positive impact. Also, a Child Rights Activist, and lawyer, Mrs. Margret Nwagbo, said the exclusion of women from politics had been a major social developmental issues, stressing that positive impact of women in politics was undeniable.
Mrs. Nwagbo argued that women in politics would advance gender equality and affect a range of policy issues. The activist noted that if more women were elected into offices, there would be significant increase in policy making that affects quality of life. Mrs. Nwagbo further advocated that the mandatory expression of interest and nomination forms be reduced drastically for women.
“Women are less likely to afford the fees due to unpaid labour burdens, unequal inheritance rights and poor access to education,” Mrs. Nwagbo argued.
She also said that the gender stereotypes that assign leadership roles to men should be stopped, saying that women should not be relegated to the women’s wing, but be given more serious roles as there were educated women in politics. The activist also said that political meetings should be fixed when suitable to both genders.
Mrs. Nwagbo called on the women to learn grassroots politics, emphasizing that if they did not mix with the people at the grassroots level, they would not know them.
“Eat with them, talk to them! Get off your high horses and relate with the people at the grassroots,” she advised.
For the Southeast Regional Representative for the Young African Leaders Initiative, Ms. Nene Ugwu; the Executive Director, New Life Community Care Initiative, Mrs. Florence Ifeanyi Aneke and Ms Pamela Adindu of 50/50 Action for Women, women had continued to suffer exclusion, because of the negative attitude of the society towards the female gender.
A legal practitioner, and Chairman, African People’s Alliance, (APA), Enugu State Chapter, Mr. Chukwunoso Daniel Ogbe, said no law expressly prohibited women from attaining the highest echelon of their political aspiration as they had equal rights with men. Mr. Ogbe said notwithstanding the absence of express prohibition placed on the way of women in attaining lofty political heights, women find it difficult to lead their dreams politically because of some cultural and social factors that posed limitations on their way in achieving great political feats.
“Many Nigerians still habour the patriarchal notion that women should not preside over men, while failing to understand that leadership in our modern world entails serving the populace as opposed to being served.
“As a result, even many women, who form a greater chunk of the voting populace, find it difficult lending a helping hand to fellow women who aspire to occupy leadership and political positions,” he stated.
Mr. Ogbe noted that the wifely duties imposed on women by the society and even by their biological makeup, placed limitations on the political height women can attain in Nigeria.
“Upon giving birth to children, it becomes difficult for women to effortlessly nurture their children while concurrently playing politics, without being made to suffer some disadvantaged status politically,” Mr. Ogbe remarked.
He further pointed out funding was a major challenge for women in pursuing political ambition because oftentimes money play a vital role in Nigerian politics.
“Many women lack the financial wherewithal to prosecute their political aspirations because of the disadvantaged economic condition of many women, which mainly arises from the limitations placed on them by the motherly role they render to their immediate families and the society at large,” Mr. Ogbe commented.
According to Mr. Ogbe, politics is also viewed by a great majority of the Nigerian populace as a dirty game.
“It takes the exhibition of a tout-like quasi violent tendency for an average politician to assert his political right in Nigeria.
“Going by the societal imposition and envisaged cultural behavioural pattern to be embraced by women, in which they are to be seen and not heard; many women consequently find it difficult delving into politics,” Mr. Ogbe noted.
He, however, said there should be a deliberate policy by the government at the various tiers in Nigeria to encourage the participation of women in politics.
“The Government can make financial provisions for women who seek to vie for political offices so that such women would not have their political dreams killed because of paucity of funds.
“Furthermore, there should be a reorientation of the populace that true leaders in our world today are not actually rulers but servants; and in which case women should be encouraged to bring in their wealth of knowledge, service-wise, to bear in making the Nigerian society a better place,” he advocated.
The respondents all agree that men and women are imbued with leadership qualities, and the society needs both sexes to work together for the good of the society.