2023: NFF advocates women inclusion

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF), a movement of women-led organisations, has lamented the poor representation of women in all facets of the society.

The Forum also called for a 40 per cent quota system strictly for women across the 18 accredited political parties in Nigeria for the 2023 general elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, NFF Communications Officer, Angela Nkwo, called on the major political parties in Nigeria to make women their national chairpersons, saying it will help address the violence and patriarchy women experience in political parties.

She said, “Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Nigerian Feminist Forum is concerned about the lack of representation of women and girls in every facet of the country, and despite the fact that we form almost half of the population, we are not heard!

“In another one year, Nigeria will commence the electoral process to elect people to occupy political offices from 2023 but the question is, to do what exactly? Is it to reenact the same unworkable system?

“Women and girls despite our teeming numbers enjoy less than six per cent representation. Out of 109 members, only seven women are in the Senate while 11 women are in the House of Representatives; altogether 18 out of the 469 members of the National Assembly, a very paltry and discriminative figure.

“The State Houses of Assembly have not fared any better. Of the entire North-west states of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara, only one female legislator was sworn in after the 2019 general elections, specifically into the Kaduna state House of Assembly. The entire South-east has only 10 out of 129 members, while the South west has only 13 lawmakers.”

She said if women are given the opportunity to contribute their quota in nation building, Nigeria would be better off.

While lamenting the culture of patriarchy and male chauvinism that has undermined the rights of women, she said Nigeria will only be better when women are given opportunity to contribute to nation building.

“Since the return to democracy, women have grappled with insurgency, insecurity, displacements from their homes, kidnap, rape, lack of access to quality healthcare and education.

“If nothing is urgently done, Nigerian women and girls will continue to die in their numbers. We demand female inclusion urgently, and adoption of gender equality across all spheres in Nigeria,” she said.