The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), has charged the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to run an inclusive administration, lamenting that women representation in governance has remained abysmally low.
Its National President Hajia Lami Adamu Lau, made the call Thursday in Abuja, at her one year in office and award ceremony with theme: “Digitalization of Nigerian women in the 21st century.”
Lau said the number of women in government positions indicated that, the female gender are not adequately represented as the percentage of women in government is low.
She said: “I want to use this medium to call on the incoming government to consider our women politicians especially those that have tried, those that were dropped during primaries so that they don’t discourage us, as there is no way you can leave half of your number and say you will succeed, we need to be included in government.
“We have gone on lobbying so that our women parliamentarians especially those that have spent years, and those coming back for the fourth time, to be part of the officials of the national Assembly but I don’t know which zoning system they followed, our women are still not part of the leadership of the two chambers.
Speaking further, the NCWS national president recounting her achievements in the last one year in office said,” the Council has touched the lives of our many women, when I came in I noticed that everything is just taking place in the cities, so I decided that my executives and myself will go round the country to engage with rural women.
“There was flood last year, and so the Council took it upon itself to visit rural women, sympathize with them and also help them with some relief materials so that they will feel our impact.
“We also carry on sensitization on the participation of women In politics we went around Nigeria. Though, our women didn’t get that much but there was a lot of enlightenment and many of our women understood the problems as to why women are left behind in politics and what we are supposed to do.
“The Council produced a book “How to be a successful politician” and it is being distributed to women in our rural areas.”
On her part, President Women In Politics Forum(WIPF), Ebere Ifendu said although women did not gain more government positions in the last election but the representation was large enough.
Ifendu expressed dismay with the Federal Government for appealing the judgement of the 35 percent affirmation ruled in women’s favour, describing it as embarrassing.
“We went to court and won on the 35 percent affirmation. It is very embarrassing for a government to appeal such a judgment that is based on its own policy, so why did you come up with the policy?
“Sadly the gender policy was just revised and accented to by the present government and you are in court against your own policy.
“We need to do better to get the political party to give more women tickets to run for seats, if we have more women as candidate it means that more women will win elections, we have to talk about political parties being deliberate about supporting women.
“Although we did not get much women at the Senate but it goes a long way as more women are being conscious and participation is not only when one win election but the general involvement as election observers, as party agents, women canvassing for votes for other women, that is a huge success for us.
She further charged the incoming government to “take a bold step firstly, to withdraw the case in court, then ensure that as they are nominating for ministerial appointment they are giving minimum of 35 percent as this was part of their campaign promises as this shows they are responsible to their words because if you are not committed to your words then we cannot trust you. We are hopeful that the right thing will be done this time.”
Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Health and Hospital Management, Dr. Ejike Orji, commended the NCWS president for her tremendous efforts of not leaving any one behind in her activities.
Orji noted, “one of the key things she is doing that is wonderful is the collaboration from all and sundry, taking women to make sure they occupy some of these spaces ‘she started so well, carrying everybody along’.
