EU Asks Political Parties to Adopt Robust Measures to Increase Women's Participation in Politics
L-R: Dr Wiseman Ubochioma; Mr. Saif Coomasie; Mrs. Foluke Ogunbayo; Dr Dale Ogunbayo; Mr. Dayo Ashonibare; Mr. Abdulmuhsin Wakawa at the Call to Bar of Dr. Ogunbayo at the Nigerian Law School, Abuja... recently
The European Union (EU) has urged political parties to adopt robust measures and strategies to increase women’s participation and representation.
It noted that the active participation of women at all levels of decisionmaking and politics is essential to the achievement of equality, sustainable development, peace, and democracy.
The EU also said that there is an urgent need for political parties to review and reform all founding and policy documents, namely political parties’ constitutions, manifestos, party rules, and procedures and strategy documents to incorporate national and international norms and obligations on gender equality.
European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Samuela Isopi, made the call during the Women in Parliament Summit in Abuja, in commemoration of the International Women’s week, organised by the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN), with the theme, 'Inspiring Inclusion: Policy Mechanisms for Gender Parity in Politics'.
She said: "The ongoing constitution reform process presents an opportunity to adopt an inclusive legal framework that promotes equal participation of all Nigerians regardless of gender, ethnicity, age and disability status.
"In Nigeria, the advocacy for women’s political participation has been long drawn, and in spite of the very dynamic interventions by women’s groups and other key stakeholders, their representation remains in steady decline. For example, women’s representation in the 10th National Assembly is 7.4 per cent out of 469 combined seats in the Senate and House of Representatives.
"There has been no woman elected governor in Nigeria’s 25 years of democracy and the percentage of women appointed to political positions still falls significantly short compared to men. I am not quoting these figures to make it seem impossible, but to show that it is indeed possible.
"It is recognised that political parties are the 'real gatekeepers' on women’s political empowerment. If the political parties institutionalise gender equality measures and transform from within, it will have a direct impact on women’s equal participation and representation in Nigeria."
Isopi urged political parties to set women’s representation in their decision-making bodies such as the National Executive Councils and directorates for elections at not less than 30 per cent, which is regarded as the critical figure for women to have any influence.
“The political culture in Nigeria is underpinned by patriarchy and the 'unwritten' rules on male privilege within political parties. Oftentimes, only women whose husbands support them or have a legacy of family political activism make it to the top.