Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani ( PDP Enugu East) , has canvassed for more women inclusion in elective and appointive positions in government.
He also condemned in strong terms the unabating cases of human trafficking especially against women and the girl child for labour and prostitution .
In a statement issued in Abuja Saturday to commemorate this year’s “ World Day Against Trafficking in persons” , he urged governments at all levels to provide stringent measures to curb trafficking in persons against women, children and the girl child forthwith .
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2013 declared July 30 every year to mark trafficking in persons as part of sensitization and global plan of action to combat the menace. This year’s theme focuses on the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and impede human trafficking.
“Women bear an undue burden of poverty, ignorance, disease and sociological abuse in addition to displacement and denial of political spaces which shut them out from nation building.
“To this end, affirmative action is urgently needed to enable our women catch up or equalize in order to complement their male counterparts in the onerous task of developing the beleaguered nation” , he said .
He added that in today’s world , Women equalization and empowerment is the order of the day stressing that the task at hand demands joint efforts between the male and female citizens and not the exclusive reserve of the former.
He acknowledged the existence of the ministry of women affairs, but suggested the establishment of the office of “equal opportunity” for women to specifically address the imbalances and other issues affecting them and the girl child.
Senator Nnamani went down memory lane and recalled that it was on account of challenges facing women that Lyndon Baines Johnson of United States of America in August 1964, signed the Equal Opportunity Act as part of the jumbo reforms under the “ Great Society” programme .
“Women rights are human rights. There is need to reserve jobs quota for women and address issues of job discrimination and the likes against women . Women suffer work place discrimination and harassment, stigmatization and poor prosecution for rape and assault,” he said.
