Stakeholders insist on involving more women in governing Abuja, others

By Stanley Onyekwere

Some stakeholders have re-echoed the advocacy for inclusion of more women in government and politics of Abuja and other parts of Nigeria , in recognition of their contribution to development and the stability of the nation.

They made this point in Abuja, at the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) Special Award Ceremony and presentation of Books titled: Journey to Equity and Songs for Women, written by Dr. Gloria Shoda, President of NCWS, at the weekend.

One of the stakeholders, the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, noted that Nigerian women have left their marks sands of time, thus they should be celebrated, in order to encouraged to do more towards the development of the society.

According to her, “We still have great women that are still contributing their quota till this time in all phases of life, in sciences, arts, and other things. We must celebrate the women for that. 

“We must also celebrate the men in women and who support the struggle that women are contributing meaningfully to national development. 

“As we do this, we will encourage more women to contribute to the development of the nation”.

President of NCWS, Dr. Gloria Shoda,  appealed to men in the House of Representatives to open the door for women, that the five bills that they threw out should be reconsidered. 

She explains: “That is the way to equity. We are born the same, we go to school together, so we should also do what the men have. In the private sector and other aspects, women are excelling, so we should also be allowed to excel in government and politics, so that is why we are seeking equity. It is should be balanced.

“As you know, Women form almost half of the Nigerian populace and make critical contributions to nation-building. Despite this, we are not so prominent, where it matters in the public space. 

“The data shows that women still lag in public affairs and decision making, as well as in political participation and representation. Gender-based violence is still rife and women face all manner of discrimination and challenges in society”.

She added that, however, over the years, the nation has had a variety of Nigerians- men and women who have stood up for women’s rights and contributed to women empowerment, that they have shown courage and steadfastness in their conviction about the place of women in Nigeria.

According to her, “As the awards are being handed out, we would like to implore you all, to please sustain your good works in this sector. Nigerian women are still far off from the goal and we need you to continue to champion the cause.

“The most recent example of this is the Constitution Alteration Process which saw five key and fundamental Bill rejected in the National Assembly. We need to have all voices onboard to reject this blatant discrimination against womenfolk”.