United Nations Women (UN Women) has called on local political parties to create a safe space for women participating in politics and swiftly move to address violence against women during elections.

Speaking during the opening of a three-day multi-stakeholder conference in Salima on Wednesday themed ‘Violence against women in elections’, UN Women acting country representative Kebedech Ambaye observed that women experience various forms of violence during elections, including physical, psychological, verbal and digital abuse.

Key women inclusion advocacy groups in Nigeria and other stakeholders have kick-started a robust conversation on how more women would participate in politics going forward, especially starting from 2027 general elections in the country.

These women groups were led in the conversation in Abuja, by Gender Strategy Advancement Initiative, SheForum Africa and Well-being Foundation Africa, among others, on Wednesday where they brainstormed on how to secure more political positions for the women folks come 2027 General election.

Women constituted only eight per cent of the total 2,823 candidates in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections, with political activists saying it reflects a deeper issue of gender bias and that talk of women's empowerment rings hollow.

There were 135 women candidates in the first phase of the elections and 100 in the second phase, bringing the combined total for the first two phases to 235.

Political party representatives were put in the hot seat during IOL’s Elections Panel Discussion on Wednesday at the Radisson Blu Hotel in uMhlanga when asked why there are fewer women in politics, especially in leadership positions.