Women’s Rights Movements and Groups have demanded for increased representation of women in politics to enhance development in Nigeria.
The women made the demands at the Voice of Women Conference and Awards 2022 in Abuja.
While delivering his welcome remarks at the event, Dr. Kole Shettima of MacArthur Foundation harped on the need for women to be involved in governance as that is one of the best investments any country could make.
Shettima said, “many of us reference Rwanda today but that is possible because of the overwhelming presence of women in parliament.”
He noted that women’s representation in 2023 would be lesser than in 2019 because the percentage of women vying for positions in the upcoming general elections is lower.
Saudatu Mahdi, the Secretary General of the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) noted that the world has moved from tokenism that political candidates promise to the concrete value of their women.
She mentioned that Nigerian women are keen to see the incoming administration commit to a gender-friendly and socially inclusive atmosphere.
On her part, Mary Omoyeme Musa from MOM Foundation talked about how the community of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the country have been marginalized in all spheres.
She demanded incoming administration to ensure the implementation of the Disability law in the country, to be able to address all the barriers that PWDs in the country encounter.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the Charter of Demands by Nigerian women to the Presidential candidates in attendance.