Cabinet: Women group tasks Buhari, el-Rufai on 40% affirmative action



A group of women under the aegis of Women Mentoring and Leadership Initiative (WAMFOI), on Monday tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to comply with the 40% affirmative action in the composition of his cabinet.


The women, who are members of different political parties, market associations and non-governmental organisations, commended Governor, el-Rufai for picking a woman as his deputy in the last elections, while urging the governor to consider more women among his commissioners, advisers and assistants, as he forms a new cabinet in line with his promise during campaign. 


Women Mentoring and Leadership Initiative also tasked members of the National Assembly to be gender sensitive by electing at least a woman among the leaders of both the Senate and the Federal House of Representatives.   


Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, a former member of House of Representatives and President of WANFOI, Hon Florence D. Aya, said her organisation would continue to support government in nurturing and mentoring women for political and leadership participation.


Florence, who was also a former Chief Whip of Kaduna State House of Assembly said, unlike before, when women don’t support their fellow women in elections, they have began to see reasons to do that due to awareness by concerned women groups.


According to her, “FAMWOI  congratulates Governor el-Rufai and most importantly, for being gender sensitive in chosen a woman as a running mate to serve as deputy governor. We also commend your effort at ensuring that, women play vital roles in the outgoing dispensation by appointing them as commissioners of some key ministries before the dissolution of the state cabinet.


“However, as a gender sensitive governor, we urge you to keep your promise of affirmative action on 40 percent women and people living with disabilities, especially, by giving appointment to women who did well but lost elections.
Sharing her personal experience, Comrade Cecilia Musa, who lost election for the position of Chairman of Jema’a local government council of Kaduna state under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) said time has come for political parties to give women certain percentage of representation both within the party and elective and appointive positions. 
According to her, “women are beginning to see the need to support fellow women in politics. For example, during primaries, I contested against two men and won. I was able to win that primaries because of massive support I got from women, though I lost at the election.”

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