INEC tasks NASS on affirmative action for greater women participation in politics

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu has called on the National Assembly to introduce affirmative action as part of the electoral reforms that will ensure greater representation of women, youths and persons with disability in elective offices nationwide.
Yakubu reasoned that doing will go a long way to accelerate progress in this regard.
The INEC Chairman stated this yesterday, in his remarks on the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2024 at the Commission’s conference in Abuja.
Yakubu assured that in the weeks ahead, INEC will engage with the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters on this and other areas of reform.
According to him, “The Commission is aware of the concern raised by Nigerians about the low level of gender representation in elective positions nationwide.
“The Commission shares this concern and we have consistently been urging political parties to redress the obvious under-representation of women, youths and persons with disability by nominating more of them as candidates for elections.
“To accelerate progress in this regard, I will go as far as calling on the National Assembly to introduce affirmative action as part of the electoral reforms that will ensure greater representation of women, youths and persons with disability in elective offices nationwide.
“In the weeks ahead, the Commission will engage with the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters on this and other areas of reform”, he said.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s celebration is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” while the campaign theme is “Inspire Inclusion”, the INEC Chairman said, “Inclusion, in particular, has been a focal area of our commitment covering gender, youths and persons with disability.
“For this reason, the Commission has since developed and validated its gender policy with the full support of all stakeholders. We have also been dutifully implementing the gender policy in a practical way.
“It is not by coincidence that the two successive Secretaries to the Commission are women.
“Furthermore, the present Commission deliberately created a whole Department of Gender and Inclusivity in 2021 dedicated to the promotion of inclusive representation in the workplace and the electoral process.
“Today, out of 24 Departments and Directorates at the Commission’s Headquarters, 11 (representing 46%) are headed by women.
“We also have women serving as Administrative Secretaries in our State offices and Heads of various Departments at State level.
“There is also no State in Nigeria without women serving as Electoral Officers (EOs) in charge of our Local Government Offices”, he said.