The under-representation of women in governance, politics, economy and, particularly, business, is a major concern of the World Affirmative Action Awards (WAFAA); a gender mainstreaming non-governmental organisation (NGO). ENE OSANG reports that as the organisation prepares to host conference in the United States of America, the need for 35 per cent affirmative action in line with the Beijing declarations is emphasized.
Currently, Nigeria falls short on the 35% affirmative action for women when compared to other African countries and the world at large like the Beijing Platform for Action and the Maputo Protocol to which the country is signatory.
Statistics reveal that women constitute about 50% of the Nigeria population. It is estimated that women-owned business represent about 30% of registered businesses worldwide. Yet, only about 1% of women entrepreneurs have access to businesses like owning oil blocks as the oil and gas industry is one very tough industry for women to thrive.
It is to this end that the President of WAFAA Dr. Hephzibah Suobo, led a delegation of its executives to some female echelons in politics and law makers to the National Assembly recently, to further stress the need for a push of the demand for more women representation at the hem of affairs in Nigeria.
Dr. Suobo who requested the law makers presence at the upcoming conference it is hosting in the United States of America as keynote speakers, stressed the need for gender parity in the country, to confirm its status as the giant of Africa.
Suobo noted that women has majorly being mobilised for political activities, while the interest of those who are not in politics are neglected.
‘’Most women concern is in the area of mobilising women for political activities but women are saying if there should be 35% affirmative action it shouldn’t be just on political appointments or the electibility of women but it should include economic participation because not all women are in public domain.
‘’Others want to thrive in the private domain, the economic sector especially in the area of oil and gas,” he said.
He added that to achieve the UN objective for women both men and women must mobilise to ensure that these objectives are carried out.
‘’Nigeria is 25th in the global gender ranking as against the background of some African countries that are already in the top ten like Rwanda, Denmark, Liberia etc. Nigeria is giant of Africa and should extend this to women too,’’ he said.
‘’We are pitching our tent in Washington DC this December to meet with other Nigeria women to ensure Nigeria women has a global face and make them a new face of leadership to other African countries and the world at large,’’ he added.
Receiving the delegation the Deputy Minority Whip at the Senate, Senator Biodun Christine Olujimi, expressed disappointment over the rejection of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEO bill) when it was presented at the house, however she said women are not giving up on the struggle.
Olujimi noted that the major challenge with the struggle for gender equality in the country is the lack of support from men. ‘
She further lament the rejection of the demand for a reservation of quota for women in the political parties, saying ‘’If all parties in Nigeria give women are particular quota say 20% of electable positions to women thy can then contest the remaining 80% which means at every election we should be able to get 20 or 25-30% of women into positions across the political parties.”
“The problem is that gender needs men’s support because we have done enough over the years but its not working out. In fact , we have decided that the position of women leaders should go to the men so that they can bring us together,’’ she said.
‘’The GEO bill has been with us for a very long time, when we were activists we tried but it didn’t work. ‘’The seventh assembly brought up the GEO bill but it never saw the light of the day because the men are not sensitized enough to believe in the issues promoted by the bill however, this time around we have a window for opportunity and we are hopeful that this works out this time.
‘’When I brought up the bill I assumed that I had spoken to everybody and that it would go through but on that day, nine people spoke with seven in favour of the bill but when it came to the voice votes the nays had it even when it was done twice. This shows that men don’t believe we need the powers we are asking for even though we are not asking for much,’’ she lamented.
Olujimi pointed out that what the women demand is to be involved in decision making since they are 50% of the population, particularly to have a say in issues concerning them.
‘’We still want the inheritance clause taken out laws are not made just because one is not involved, if your believe supports that what about mine? Who now make laws for those who have no one to protect them,””?
‘’The world has come a long way and those women they marry at 14 some are right now unmarried because they no longer have the flair, she is no longer a minor, a juvenile and the innocence that brought him close to her is no longer there so we don’t want women to be used and dumped.
The Senator also expressed worry over the unending crises between the PDP and APC, assuring that women are finding solutions to resolving the issue.
‘’If you observe the women in PDP have come together to take over the party and see how we can reconcile the men and get them to do what is right and ensure that they follow the tenets of the constitution and follow the manifesto of the party to the later.
‘’That way we would have avoided tokenism and the usual impunity that pervades political parties and I know that the minute we start doing that our counterpart in other political party will also start because it is only women that can bring out this unity,” she said.
Also responding, the Deputy Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs Honourable Asabe Vilita Bashirn, lauded Nigerian women efforts on emancipation so far, while urging more women to heed the call for participation in public life.
‘’There has been a clarion call for women to come out of their shelves and participate actively in politics and every other area and we need more women to heed this call.
The law maker said though numerous challages abound for women in decision making position, she encouraged woman to keep doing their best to enable more achievements.
Meanwhile the Special Assistant Women and Gender Affairs to the Speaker, House of Representatives Rose A. Uwadia-Jacobs, maintained that gender inequality has been on from time immemorial.
The SA however assured that gender equality is achievable in Nigeria, but tasked women on better understanding of the concept.
“A lot of women just follow the train but they need to understand and want it themselves. The achievement we are talking about is not trying to be a man the equality we are talking about is the expression of potentials which is a human right.
“I remember in the book of numbers 21 there are daughters who were not given inheritance and they demanded for it, so this gender inequality has been there from time immemorial and here we are today contending with culture and religion but we are not where we used to be and by God’s grace we have achieved more in the next 10 years to come.
“Culture and tradition comes in but like some cultures are done away with, certain constraints will be done away with with time. Those who are affected would need to take the lead, every woman must nurture their children equally so that’s the paradigm shift we are looking for,” she explained.
She disclosed that the GEO bill has passed second reading and is at the committee level, assuring that with time it would be passed into law.
She therefore urged citizens not to see the gender equality struggle as a “western thing”, as this will make it a lot more difficult to be passed into law.
“If we keep seeing gender equality as a western thing it would face a lot of resistance gender equal opportunity is callig for both men and women to be given opportunity to express their potentials and capabilities,’’ she said.
