Stakeholders Want Increased Women Participation in Politics

By Funmi Ojo

Women in Osun State need to actively participate in politics to contribute to the state’s and the country’s sustainable social and economic development.

Stakeholders in politics stated this at a two-day consultative meeting on “Advancing the Participation of Women in Politics through Female elected candidates in South West Nigeria”, organized by a non-governmental organization, Hope for Family Development Initiative, HFDI.

In her address, the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Market Women, Chief Eniola Omotosho, identified the male gender as the main factor hindering women’s participation in politics.

Chief Omotosho, a two-time House of Representatives candidate, stressed that most men particularly husbands, discouraged their wives when they showed interest in elective positions.

Meanwhile, the chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC in Osun State, Mr. Victor Akande, emphasized the need for women to foster support for one another, noting that they occupy a significant percentage of the electorate.

Mr Akande said: “Politics is a game of figures and women dominate these figures, but the issue is women don’t support each other, we’ll have a larger number of female representatives once they start fostering support for each other irrespective of the party”.

In their separate remarks, the president, Osun State Chapter, National Council for Women Societies, NCWS, Dr. Adeola Ayoola and Amira, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria, FOMWAN, Alhaja Sadiat Oladapo called on women associations to propose a memorandum that would ensure professional women are given more opportunities in politics to transform the nation’s leadership.

In his remark, the Chairman of HFDI Board of Trustees, Dr. Aremu Adeola called for more equitable representation of women in governance.

Dr. Adeola expressed displeasure over the low participation of women in politics, saying that increased women’s participation in politics is necessary for achieving global gender equality and democratic governance.

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