Adeola Ogunlade, who attended a recent dialogue writes on the involvement of Nigerian women in democratic process
Despite the enormous achievements of the Nigerian women since independence, there are plethora of issues undermining their role and participation in the democratic process in Nigeria.
This was the thrust of the 2012 Inter-Generational Dialogue on Women in Nigeria, organised by the Centre for Human Development with funding from the United Nations Democracy fund, held recently at Peninsula Resort, Ajah, Lagos State.
The programme, titled Promoting Women’s Political Participation, brought together women, including party leaders, female politicians, market women, civil society organisations, gender activists and advocates of persons living with disabilities from Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Enugu, Ebonyi, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and the FCT, Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Honorable Minister of Women and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, called for the implementation of strategies that would ensure the political empowerment of women and establishing a framework for gender responsiveness in all public and private sector policies and programmes.
She said that it is pertinent to note that despite the large population of women in Nigeria, their participation in politics and decision making have been dismal.
Maina, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Ministry of Women and Social Development, Olusola Dada, highlighted various discriminatory practices, marginalisation in political parties dominated by men, high registration fees, unfavorable socio-cultural environment and negative stereotyping of women in the society as factors undermining the role of women in governance.
In her welcome address, the Executive Director, Centre for Human Development, Professor Simi Afonja, said that the forum is aimed at decentralising the domestication of Gender Affirmative Action and other programmes to embrace all levels of governance and grassroots engagement.
She said “this idea of decentralising Affirmative Action is on the understanding that if more women at the grassroots are educated about Affirmative Action, there will be more advocates at the local level. They will be able to lobby and mobilise people at the community levels.”
Afonja added that women-friendly institutions will develop to focus on the priorities at the grassroots which are invariably different from those of urban women’s organisations. The motive of women is not to gain relevance at the center alone but at all levels.
Earlier in his words, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Akinlaja Joseph, reaffirmed the commitment of the house in enacting laws that would aid the domestication of affirmative action plan for women.
He said “the Committee on Women Affairs is working hard on the 35percent affirmative action plan for women to be soon presented to the parliament but expectation is ours but reality is another.”
Joseph went ahead to challenged women to unite together “against the innocuous cliché that undermines the role of women in politics and other institutions in Nigeria.”
In her presentation, the Executive Director, Alliance For Africa, Iheoma Obibi, who spoke on the topic: Gender Affirmative Action, Lessons from other countries; said that building strategy alliances and relationships among women groups and associations have helped in entrenching gender equality and empowerment in many countries that have put the Gender Affirmative action bill into law which can be replicated in Nigeria.
At the plenary sessions, participation were divided into three age groups which are ages of 50 and above, 29 and 49 and ages 29 below, where they identified gaps in party structures, electoral laws and non effective implementation of the 35percent affirmative action law in most parts of the country.