Nigeria

THE increasing low participation of women in politics, especially in contesting for elective offices is beginning to give serious concern to women leaders and are now canvassing for strategies to tackle the deficit and ensure that women’s skills and intelligence are properly and equally harnessed for national development as it is with men.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has developed a curriculum aimed at assisting women at all levels to participate and make decisions on issues that concerns them.

Sexual harassments and intimidation are two major reasons why women shy away from politics, representative of Ikorodu Constituency 2 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, western Nigeria, Mrs. Adebimpe Akinsola, has said.

Akinsola, a first-term lawmaker at the House, who spoke with newsmen recently, said many women are in tune with the general belief that politics is only meant for men. She also argued that sexual harassment could only be experienced by women who are very desperate to be politically relevant.

A female politician and former member of the House of Representatives, Mrs Juliet Nnenne Obasi-Akano, spoke at at her country home, Abajah in Nwangele Local Government Area, while marking her formal declaration for the Senate race of Orlu Senatorial Zone of Imo State in 2015.

She declared that the decision to offer herself for the Orlu senatorial seat was borne out of her desire to continue to serve and take them out of the woods, stressing that the zone had been marginalized in terms of federal presence.

PREMIUM TIMES investigations have shown that women are under represented at the ongoing national conference in Abuja.

There are roughly 78 women out of the 492 delegates attending the conference, which is less than 20 per cent, and far below the widely agitated 35 per cent affirmative action plan in Nigeria.

Data from the 2006 National population census shows that out of the country's total population of over 140 million, over 71 million are male while over 69 million are female.

Women Affairs Minister Hajiya Zainab Maina has called for the adoption of special measures to entrench affirmative action-certain percentage of women- in both elective and appointive positions at all levels in the 2015 elections.

She made the during her key-note address at a 2-day for female parliamentarians on state legislatures on affir-mative action and the quota implementation guideline.

We invite you to read the full article published October 30, 2013

IF elected, Chief Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has promised to ensure that women constitute at least 35 per cent of all his appointments.

In an interview with reporters shortly after attending the sensitisation workshop for political parties and stakeholders in Awka, Obiano also promised to establish more vocational and skills acquisition centres in the state.

We invite you to read the full article published October 29, 2013