The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has lamented what it described as ‘stark gender disparity” at the National Assembly in relation to female representation.
This was disclosed by Titilayo Daniel while addressing over 100 female politicians at a town hall meeting tagged “Enhancing Women Political Representation,” facilitated by the House of Representatives, Deputy Chief Whip, Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, held at Sagamu Town Hall over the weekend.
Daniel noted that less than 10 per cent of female membership in the 10th National Assembly is a great embarrassment to the country.
She said, “It is no more news that from the local to the national level, women’s leadership and political participation are restricted.
“When women are included in decision-making processes, societies prosper. It has been demonstrated globally that women in leadership promote more inclusive policies, tackle poverty and inequality more effectively, and prioritise issues related to education, healthcare, and social justice.
“The current political landscape still reflects the stark gender disparity. As of now, women make up less than 10% of the members of the National Assembly. This means that the voices of more than half of our population are largely absent in critical decision-making bodies. This is rather an embarrassing statistic for Nigeria as the giant of Africa when compared with other African countries such as Rwanda with 61.3%, South Africa with 46.2%, Malawi with 41%, and Sierra Leone with 30.4% of women’s representation in Parliament.”.
“We back gender equality advocates in calling on political parties, governments, and others to do their part in empowering women. NILDS, with support from UN Women, advocates for legislative and constitutional reforms to ensure women’s fair access to political spheres.”
She added that structural barriers through discriminatory laws and institutions are some of the factors limiting women’s options to vie for political offices.
Daniel said these factors, if not properly addressed, would continue to make Nigerian women face several obstacles in their political careers.
While promising that NILDS, in collaboration with UN Women, would continue to provide training for female politicians to build their capacities in gender equality.
The Deputy Chief Whip promised to encourage more women’s representation in politics through capacity building and inclusivity.
Onanuga, representing Sagamu/Remo North/Ikenne Federal Constituency, said, “We are losing a lot. Nigeria should allow effective women to participate in politics.”
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