Women representation: Can traditional rulers make a difference?

As part of efforts to shore up the number of women in decision making positions the Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), recently, led Nigerian women on an advocacy visit to the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V. Can the traditional institution make a difference? ENE OSHABA asks in this report.

The build up to the 2023 general elections has continued to be marked by intrigues with political parties and candidates exploring all avenues to ensure they win at the polls. Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), a non-governmental organisation involved in the advancement of the political rights of women, has not been left out as they have made it a duty to champion advocacy for women’s participation both as voters and as candidates.

To ensure women’s visibility the forum recently embarked on a high level advocacy visits to solicit support of major stakeholders as well as task candidates on women-inclusive agenda.

The forum, earlier in the week visited the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu, to intimate him on the need for women to be given opportunity, and support to participate actively in politics.

Addressing the monarch, President of the forum and leader of the delegation, Barr. Ebere Ifendu, said the visit was to solicit support and blessing of the traditional ruler as a strong stakeholder in development of women in politics.

Ifendu maintained that if the women got royal blessing from the Obong the sky would be their limit, and it would be the stepping stone for them to soar higher and make impact in politics.

This is as she noted the impact of women leaders in other countries, arguing that Nigeria must give women politicians a chance to showcase their leadership skills for a more rapid development of the country.

Also speaking, the Project Director, National Democratic Institute (NDI), Ben Aga, noted that the importance of the traditional institution in Nigeria.

According to him, the advocacy visit by the WIPF was one good strategy as most policy makers regularly consult the traditional rulers during elections.

Aga said that women were gradually moving towards having their rightful positions in the polity as regards governance and leadership and must keep up the advocacy till the aim is achieved.

“A woman being president will happen in Nigeria and meeting critical stakeholders is part of the strategy because if you want that change to happen, meeting parliament, policy makers, traditional rulers and all other stakeholders is critical,” he said.

Advocacy for women support

While at the palace, the WIPF president appealed to the Obong to publicly pronounce that women were allowed to participate in politics, and would be given the opportunity irrespective of party affiliation at the state and nation level.

Ifendu expressed worry over the fact that none of the major political parties has a woman as its governorship candidate or running mate.

She stressed the need for traditional rulers to protect the interest of the women by tasking politicians who come to them for support on their plans for women in order to ensure that needs of women are included in their manifesto.

“The major parties do not have any woman as candidate or running mate so how can we be sure that we are protected when they win, and how can we assess them?

“They will always visit the palace to seek your blessings and support, and this is a good opportunity to ask them what strategies of inclusion they have that will involve women, youths and persons with disabilities,” she stated.

The forum president maintained that when politicians make promises before traditional rulers they were not likely to go against this because they understand they can’t make promises before a royal father and go against it.

“As women, we understand our position all over the world that we want to support the men like we do at home and we are not taking over the men but we want to support in governance just like we do support at home,” she said.

Women as impactful leaders

Ifendu, who recalled the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, said women understand the impact of good leadership on children, their husbands and the entire community because naturally as mothers they know what to do to ensure that people are protected.

“We celebrate Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, and Amina Mohammed, who are representing Nigeria and also doing great things and making Nigeria proud as leaders, including many other women who have made impact with leadership positions and making Nigerians proud,” she said.

In the same vein, the former National Secretary, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Chief Efdiong Bassey Okon, stressed the need for women to avail themselves in active politics in order to support themselves take up leadership positions.

Okon expressed hope on a better future saying that a time would come when a woman would be governor and president as they were always being encouraged to join politics in the state.

“Taking our state as example we have always encouraged women to come out and they have never disappointed us. We had a female deputy governor and one day we will have a female governor or president.

“I encourage more women to join Politics and also urge other states to emulate what we have done in cross river and support more women into politics,” she said.

Mitigating poor women representation

Ifendu noted the poor representation of women at the National Assembly (NASS) with only 12 women out of 390 men at the House of Representative, while only eight out of 109 Senators are women.

“We presented five bills we have no one to support us and the five bills failed and these bills if accented to would have given us a voice and also helped us as a country to be recognised and respected across the globe.

“Each time, Nigeria joins other countries to sign treaties and never come back to implement and this is why in education,  health economy Nigeria is ranking low and the glory that should come to Nigeria is taking to Rwanda.

“We need to harness our resources properly and we believe that when women are in leadership these resources will be well harnessed and Nigeria will take her place of pride in the committee of nations,” she said.

Royal fathers give blessings

For Chief Otuekong Elder Effiong Ekpe (JP), the women were assured of his support, just as he regretted that the gender bills were rejected at the National Assembly.

Similarly, another Chief, Otuekong Sir Francis Edet, said Nigerians have been toiling and suffering in the country for a long time because women were not being given the opportunity to give feminine touch to the political situation.

“We are in support of creating opportunities for our women at the National Assembly it was disappointing that the bills failed at the national assembly. Any home without a mother you can see it won’t do very well and that is why women must be given leadership opportunity.

“It’s unfortunate that the despite all efforts the gender bill did not see the light of the day but I’m happy that the women are not discouraged but are here to plead with us to support our wives to participate in politics,” he said.

He, however, urged women to take up the responsibility to sensitise fellow women to vote for themselves, assuring that they will also vote for a female candidate.

“Women should use their numbers to vote for each other but if they do not  we the men will vote for our wives, daughters so there can be a positive change in the political architecture of this country else we will continue to crawl.

“Women have suffered in this country but it is time for them to be liberated because there are many talented women and even in schools our girls do better so they can too in politics,” he said.

Speaking further he said, “I commend you people and I urge you don’t rest on your oars because a time will come that a woman will be the president of this country and things will change for good.,” he said reassured.

“It has occurred to me that women mean business in politics and this shows they will go a long way, we are happy to have women in politics because the women in politics here do much more for us here in the palace than what the make politicians and that is because women give a different touch.

“We love you, we bless you, and support you to go on in politics assured of the support of the Obong.”

Hope alive over India’s female president

Commenting on the recent emergence of a female president in India, women rights advocates in Nigeria have expressed hope for a more inclusive political space where a woman can also emerge as president and governors in Nigeria.

According to Ifendu, though India is a patriarchal country they have had a female president before and even the neighbouring country Pakistan has also had a female prime minister.

She said it was not surprising that India, once again, elected a female president.

“It is a good development for us to see other countries electing women to top positions, it gives us hope that the wave will come to Nigeria and some day we will get a female president.

“Some people think that this will come in 50 years time but I say no because with the calibre of women and the type of advocacy going on even grassroots women are now knowing the importance of voting for women.

“We need to educate the electorates more, push our very best out there and give them visibility so that people can see why they need to vote them into power, we will get there hopefully not too long.

She expressed hope for the future even with the federal government recent appeal against the court judgement on Affirmative Action for women.

The forum president added that this may be the turning point that will bring an end every form of gender based discrimination.

“I want to believe that appealing this judgement will be an avenue that will bring us to the end of every agitation because there will be an opportunity for the supreme courts to seat and defend the constitution so there would be a pronouncement that will end every agitation. I am very optimistic.

“I’m most grateful to Justice Ekwo for a thorough job and I am looking at the areas they will challenge because if it’s the constitution it is clear our case may be like that of Senegal. They didn’t get affirmative action they got parity a 50/50 and that’s where this is leading us to.

“We will be asking the Supreme Court to interpret equality in the constitution and when that is done they will see that they did something beneficial to us instead.”