Don urges FG to implement 35% seat for women legislative, executive positions

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

Mrs. Olaide Oyerinde, Director of Training, Michael Imodu Institute of Labour Studies has called on the Federal Government to implement 35 per cent reserved seats for women in Nigeria legislative and executive positions.

Oyerinde made the call in Ilorin while delivering a paper at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Monthly meeting.

Her paper presentation was entitled: “Strategies for Increasing Women Participation in Politics and Good Governance”.

She decried the low participation of women in politics, adding that achieving gender equality is currently rather slow.

Oyerinde explained that research has shown that in the 2019 to date, about 96.9 percent of men are dominating the Nigeria House of Representative, while only 3.1 percent of women make up for their number of seat.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all political parties should be involved in the campaign to disseminating information on their right of women to vote and be voted for,” she said.

According to her, the importance of women’s political participation was further enforced by a resolution from the United Nation Economic and Social Council (ECOSEC), which recommend a target for at least 30 percent women in leadership position.

She posited that the 30 percent defined as a critical mass was first endorsed by ECOSOC in 1990 and reaffirmed during the Beijing platform for action in 1995.

Oyerinde also submitted that nearly all world’s women face major challenges in securing political participation at national levels.

“Women’s lack of access to education and to economic and political engagement is often deeply rooted in and hampered by cultural, religious or traditional norms and values,” she said.

The Don emphasised that the African charter on human and peoples right established in 1977 reaffirms not only its general commitment to the promotion of gender equality and women’s right, but also highlight the promotion of women’s political participation.

She, therefore, appealed for budgetary allocation and funding of policy on gender, while also calling for accountability and transparency. (NAN)

Edited by Felix Ajide

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