Participants at the one-day multi-stakeholders’ meeting at San Diego Hotel, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
By Nweze Anaga,
Abakaliki
A non- governmental organization, Women Aid Collective (WACOL), in partnership with UN Women and Support from the Government of Canada, has called for legal backing of Gender Equality and Opportunity Bill (GEOB) into law in Nigeria, particularly in Ebonyi State.
This is in a bid to increase women’s participation/representation in Nigerian politics in 2027.
The call was made during a one-day High Level Multi-Stakeholders’ meeting at San Diego Hotel, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, titled, “Strategies to Increase Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Ebonyi South Senatorial zone.”
The Programme Officer, Stella Igwe, said that the meeting discussed a common strategy on how to approach the passage of Gender Equality and Opportunity Bill.
The Gender and Equality Opportunity Bill, she said, was a legal reform geared towards ensuring a fair and equitable play ground for all and sundry.
The Programme Director, Mr. Helen Kalu, who spoke on the essence of GEOB and its passage in Ebonyi state, disclosed that a baseline survey conducted by WACOL showed that women were under represented in Ebonyi state.
According to her, the statistics on ground shows that “out of 13 local governments, we have only two women. That means 11 men are Chairmen in their various local government areas, while only two are women, and the House of Assembly we have only two women as well.”
She noted that the highest cadre is occupied by a woman, who is the deputy governor of the state while four other women are commissioners.
The programme director, while emphasizing that the percentage of Ebonyi women is low, stated, “in a bid to have more women participate in politics, we decided to float this ‘High Level Multi-Stakeholders meeting’, where we will talk to our stakeholders, influencers and gatekeepers in politics to help advocate for more women.”
Kalu, however, expressed optimism that at the end of the exercise and meetings with stakeholders, more women will emerge as winners in the 2027 general election.
Reacting, the state Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and Zonal Chairman APC, Comrade Nasiru Ernest Nwaze, while supporting GEOB also stated that equal opportunity should be given to everyone irrespective of gender, including Persons With Disabilities, PWD, to showcase their potentials.
Adding their voices, the state APC woman leader, Mrs Queen Nwigwe, and Coordinator of Afikpo Development Centre, Ibe Immaculata, urged women to support one another and avoid vices which may cause one’s downfall.
Highlight of the event was signing of commitment by men, in support of Gender Equality and Opportunity Bill implementation in the state.
……………
For more interesting stories click: nigerianewsflight.com.ng
