Ahead of the local government elections in Kaduna state and 2019 general elections, the Adolescent Girls and Women Support Group has urged stakeholders to ensure that more women participate actively in politics seeking elective positions in Kaduna state. Th e Adolescent Girls and Women Support Group is a coalition of six clusters made up of 50 members including women in politics, women in professions, students of higher institutions, women in business, male champions and civil society organizations formed to achieve greater inclusion of girls and women issues in political leadership and governance processes in Kaduna.
Leader of the group, Dr. Lydia Umar, told a press conference at the weekend in Kaduna, that after 18 years of democracy women remained absent from mainstream party leadership and elective positions where major decisions are made that aff ect them, their husbands and children. She said that even the token offi ce bestowed on them in political parties’ executive committee as women leader lacks the voice to make any positive impact in a male-dominated party leadership; hence women have remained largely voters and campaigners for men. She added that the number of women who managed to break through the ranks are grossly insignifi cant compared to the eff ort, commitment and unwavering loyalty displayed by them. She said in view of this the Gender Awareness Trust, (GAT) and Voices4Change over the last six months have implemented a project titled: ‘Building Women for Action in Governance and Leadership Position’, which ensures that women are mobilised, groomed, sensitised and positioned to be better informed and to come out to participate in politics and to serve. According to her, the platform is to serve as engine room for women and gender concerns in the state; “one major objectives of the platform is to increase number citizens in Kaduna state that show positive attitude towards women’s active participation in leadership and governance at all levels especially in view of the upcoming local government election and the 2019 general elections. “We call on the Kaduna state government through its agency, SIECOM to as a matter of urgency organize local government elections, to avoid a clash with election campaigns for the general election likely to take off in earnest next year. “We call on Kaduna state legislators to consider and begin the process of legislation for a 35 per cent affi rmative action as contained in the National Gender Policy along the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill. “INEC/SIECOM should consider and come up with a policy that would require political parties to entrench gender equity in their exco leadership structures by providing special quotas for women, youths, People Living With Disabilities (PLWD) and other vulnerable groups in the spirit of fairness, justice and good conscience.
