Nation
35 Percent Affirmative Action: Abia Women Converge, Solicit Support from Men
Participants at the presentation and launch of report on women’s political participation and representation in Local and State elections in Nigeria, have advocated the need for women to rise to the occasion by relegating timidity, stereotypes, among others to the background and contest for elective positions alongside their male counterparts.
The participants also decried that intimidation, financial incapacitation, cultural polarization or beliefs, violence have characterised Nigeria’s electoral process, saying it serves as a militating factor preventing women from actualizing their full potentials politically.
At the launch of the report on Wednesday in Umuahia, by Proactive Gender Initiative PGI, with Support from Neinrich Boll Stiftung, it was revealed that before the 2015 general election, Abia women set the pace in terms of participation in politics when compared to the situation in some states in the North.
Speaking at the event, Ere Amachree, the Programmes Manager, Rethinking Politics Heinrich Böll Foundation, Abuja, stated that following the misrepresentation of women in politics, the research became pertinent to understand the changing patterns of representation of women in Abia state politics in particular and Nigeria at large.
She said, “Especially as there has been zero representation of women at the State House of Assembly in recent times, it has become important to examine the performance of female candidates in local and state elections with a view to understanding their challenges, as well as barriers to women’s political empowerment.
“It is believed that after the launch, key decision-makers will begin to pay attention to the dwindling political fortunes of women in the state in particular and the country in general, with the aim of reversing this worrisome trend.”.
In his background on what necessitated the research, Orji Stephen, Director of Programs for Proactive Gender Initiative PGI, said data gathered after the study revealed that many factors are responsible for the decline in political participation among women, acknowledging that the gap has continued to widen because these factors have not been addressed.
He identified some of the findings to include: stigmatization against women, aggression by men, lack of financial muscle by women, cultural practices, negative orientation, absence of State policy that supports women from winning elections, traditional inhibitions, lack of mentors, sexual abuse against women among others.
Stephen hinted that in the course of the research, women interviewed from the three Senatorial Districts of Abia State, consistently advocated that government at all levels should ensure that the 35 percent women affirmative action is adhered to so as to allow them participate more in politics.
Aligning with this view, a Commissioner in the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, Mrs. Better Ehumadu, decried that Nigerian women have not been given the necessary support by their male counterparts to run for elective positions.
She stated that sadly too, is the absence of support from husbands of women who are willing to contest during elections, saying in most cases they are called names, viewed as prostitutes, maintaining that erroneous impressions the society has about women are also problems to the women and their quest to win elections.
Ehumadu identified the place of State policies to ensure that women occupy elective positions, arguing that there should be laws to back the 35 percent women affirmative action while commending the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti for involving more women in his administration.
Mrs Ehumadu said “Women are willing to win election, but there has always been the issue of absence of support from their male counterparts. This factor is a serious problem. What about the violence that heralds our politics? During the last election, I was nearly killed, but thank God I escaped. There has to be proper harmonization both from the perspective of the law and society”.
Other women who spoke at the event including: Hon. Ulunma Dominica, Councilor, Ukwa West Legislative Council, advised women to shun timidity, fear of being intimidated in election and come out of their shells and stand side-by-side with their male counterparts to vie for positions of trust.
She maintained that the guiding principle for women to continue growing politically is for them to continue respecting their husbands at home so as to get their support always, but decried that in some cases women who attain enviable positions politically seem to despise their little beginnings, urging them to resist being intimidated amid pressures from the male folk.
Other respondents during the programme including: Ugochukwu Alaribe, Izuchukwu Nwokoma, called on women to do more by supporting their fellow women who come out to vie for elective positions, arguing that they have not done more in announcing themselves as a gender that is ready to compete favourably with their male folk vis-à-vis winning elections.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, “Women’s Political Participation and Presentation in Local and State Elections: Impact of women’s (Non) participation, Dr. Ibe Samuel, regretted the decline in women participation in politics in Abia state.
He commended the researchers for identifying issues leading to the decline in political participation, while also stating that the book offers practical steps and need to allow women occupy elective positions at the local, State and federal levels.
Hallmark Business reports that participants at the event repeatedly stressed the need for women to support fellow women vying for elective positions, while also harping on the need for the right laws just as they lauded the embittered Senator representing Kogi Central in the Senate amid her ordeals with the Senate President Godswill Akpabio.