International Women’s Day is significant, not only to women but to men as well. Women are vital in the home-front, economy, politics and all spheres of life. They are mothers, sister, Aunts, teachers, soldiers, Engineers , pilots, administrators, preachers and what have you.
Women political participation is fundamental and a pre-requisite for gender equality and genuine democracy. This is to say that it gives women the nerves to engage themselves in public decision –making for a better accountability to the women fold they represent and the nation at large. Political manliness of women start with increasing the number of women in decision-making offices but does not stops there.
Many things are required among which are gender – sensitive governance reforms that will prop all elected offcers to be more effective and efficient in promoting gender equality in public policy and be assured of its implementation.
In the Western Countries, women participate more in governance and hold vital political offices.
In Africa fifty-four (54) countries, Nigeria is at the lowest rung being the fifty-forth(54) with a 5.45% of female representation struggling with Rwanda taking the back bench of 47.95%. The point here is that we need more women in decision –making , in all sectors of governance.
In 2022, Independent Electoral Commission(INEC) precisely on the 8th of March(co-incidentally International Women’s Day) made the world to understand that only 18b women made the cut’’. According to INEC, ‘’the poor showing of women at the polls was not strange as we saw it in the number of women candidates that contested for elective positions.
For the record, 1553 of women who contested for positions in 2023 elections, 72 emerged at the Federal and State levels. Out of the 72 women that emerged, 7 of them were elected as deputy governors; 18 elected to the National Assembly, 3 in the Senate and 15 in the House of Assembly. We can vividly say that this is not so good ;poor showing; We need more than that.
One of the pillars of UN Women’s work is advancing women political participation and good governance o ensure decision-making processes are participatory, responsive , equitable and inclusive’’. Efforts should be more focused on this strategic goal entry point to advance the status of women participation in governance and not to scare them.
The national average of women political participation in Nigeria has remained minute ;about 6.7% in elective and appointive positions. This is far below the global Average of 22.5% .African –Regional Average of 23.4% and West African Sub-Regional Average of 15%.
Brief statistics shows these: 7 Senators in 2015 and 2019, House of Representatives in 2015 was 22(68%) out of 360 members and deflected to mere 11 in 2019(3.5%)
Nigeria , according to inter –parliamentary Union , women in politics Report 2022, ranked 184 out of 192 for women’s representation in the national parliament, only 21 women in the 9th National Assembly out of 469 members!!!
At the sub –national level, data from Invictus Africa shows that there are only 45 women out of 990 State Houses of Assembly Members, 15 of the States have no FEMALE MEMBERS!!
However, Nigeria Women are excelling in other spheres apart from political paticipations. We have our women spread everywhere as captains of Industries, in NGOs, oil and gas sector, education and many more. They are to be encouraged to do more.
In the entertainment industry, women have made their marks and have their fame spread across the globe like wild fire in the harmattan. Veteran Nollywood actresses abound like ‘’Iya Rainbow’’, Omotola Jalade –Ekeinde, Mercy Johnson, Ini Edo, Funke Akindele a.k.a. Jenifa, Tonto Dike, Rita Dominic Genevieve Nnaji, Regina Daniels and a host of others.
In the arena of Music, we have female Artists and Award Winners like Tems, Simi, Sinach, Asa, Waje, Tope Alabi, , Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Onyeka Onwenu, Chioma Jesu,Stella Monye, Salawa Abeni to mention but a few.They are all proving their mettle in their callings with the contents of their musical genres.
Back to Women participation in politics and political governance. There must have been some reasons making women to be drawing back from contesting into various elective positions in government in Nigeria. This aspect should be focused upon and taken care of.
I am suggesting the following as panacea:
1. There should be a legislation to ensure political participation of women , otherwise, the male counterparts will continue to use the avenue like religion , environmental culture, and Macho figure to edge out our women in participating in politics. Nigeria is not Afghanistan.
2.Campaign for women participation in politics should not be reinforced only during the election periods-a fire-brigade-approach. It should be a continuous thing-a top-bottom and bottom =top –approach for good development.
3.Loopholes preventing them should be expunged.
- There should be a collection of programmes aimed at building he capacity of women to play effective roles as partners in progress and nation builders and not as rivals.
- Rural women also should be targeted since development at the grassroots is what development is really is.
- Public Seminars on Women participation in politics and gender responsiveness should be emphasized.
7. Conduct Voter education and workshop at the village level (this is one of the herculean tasks of Minister for Women Affairs)
- Train women in campaign skills-art of good presentation
9 Make use of the Media to mobilize women in order to increase women participation in politics(Media education-jingles ,short drama, playlets)
- Women leaders should try to work with multiple stakehoders , women organizations, churches and mosques, governments at all levels , private sectors etc to bring more of them into governance.
- Women leaders should be trained to boost their innate skills to be effective and efficient at elections as candidates and voters.
Nation building should not be restricted to men alone. Women are sine-qua-non to development of democracy and governance all over the world.
Nigerian women are coming up gradually and should be allowed to thrive.
Happy International Women’s Day 2024.
By-Idowu Akintunde
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
The Interviews Nigeria