By Chesa Chesa
A consultative meeting of Nigerian women andpolitical parties has demanded a legislation and amendment of the nation’sConstitution to include affirmative action towards formally allotting 40percent of elective political positions to women ahead of the 2023 generalelections.
It also asked the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) to deregister political parties that fail toimplement their own constitutional provisions for greater women participationand slots for elective positions and appointments.
The meeting which held in Abuja during theweek was organised by the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF), supported by the FordFoundation, with representatives of some political parties present.
The organisers however, lamented that themajor political parties in the country shunned their invitation to the event,as the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) AllProgressives Grand Alliance (APGA), were conspicuously absent.
In attendance were the Young ProgressivesParty (YPP), African Democratic Congress (ADC),
Labour Party (LP). People’s Redemption Party(PRP), Action Alliance (AA), Alliance People’s Movement (APM), as well as
Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP)and Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC).
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs wasalso absent, noted the National Coordinator of NFF, Blessing Duru, who declaredthat the meeting was part of efforts “to gradually increaseparticipation and capacity for women, and by extension, begin amentoring process for young women who will reflect it in improvedfamilies and nation as a whole.
“The NFF’s overall objective isto improve female representation in all spheres of life, encourage equal participation opportunity in political spaces as well as in decision making positions andto find out possible ways to mitigate challenges, X-raying theelectoral constitution guiding active political parties, andadvocating for change in the laws to accommodate women, whilst stilladhering to constitutional principles.”
Two of the political parties present at theconsultative meeting, YPP and ADC, acknowledged having in their respectiveconstitutions 35 percent of positions allotted to women.
They therefore, advocated that sensitisationto get more women interested in politics be intensified and extended tosecondary schools and tertiary educational institutions, so as to “capturethem young”.
A communique issued at the end of the meetingnoted that virtually all political parties have reserved or allotted offices towomen, but the parties frustrate women from taking advantage of thesepositions.
While the system is skewed against womenparticipation in politics, women are also still not doing enough to getinvolved, which gives rise to the call for more awareness and sensitizationamong women.
The participants therefore, called for thefollowing:
“That the nation must adopt affirmativeaction by reserving a certain percentage of elective offices for women in bothnational and state elections.
“That all parties should assign 40percent slots across board to only women, and that cover all the positions fromPresident, Governors, Senate and House of Representatives, State Assembly,Local Government Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Councillors.
“That it is not enough to adopt policiesto promote women participation but to back the policies up with legislation. Alaw that mandates gender inclusion targets across all tiers of Government andall spheres of political representation should be developed and passed.
“That women should rise up to demand forchange by participating in the ongoing amendment of the constitution and theElectoral Act.
“That more women should come out andvote during elections.
“That INEC should deregister politicalparties that fail to implement provisions of women participation.
“That an electoral offence(s) commissionshould be created and empowered to prosecute perpetrators of electoral violencespecifically against women, people who misappropriate funds and use theinstitutions of state to manipulate processes for their personal interests.
“That the nation’s Constitution shouldbe amended to accommodate affirmative action.”
