Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation Urges Collective Action For Women's Political Inclusion

Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation Urges Collective Action For Women’s Political Inclusion

The Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation has called for collective action to promote women’s political inclusion, while urging political parties to make deliberate efforts to field and endorse more female candidates.

The foundation also urged women to engage in continuous dialogue with cultural and religious leaders to challenge patriarchal norms and stereotypes that limit their participation in governance.

This was disclosed during a virtual summit monitored by SentinelNewsNG.com and themed, “Using Grassroots Influence to Power Females in Governance,” where various stakeholders, including government officials, policymakers, and advocates, came together to discuss the importance of women’s participation in governance.

Speaking, Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, stressed the importance of unity and collective action in achieving women inclusion in politics, noting that the Special Seats Bill is imperative for Nigeria’s democratic balance.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated, “When women unite, mountains move. The Special Seats Bill is not just important, it’s imperative for Nigeria’s democratic balance. We must unite for Nigeria’s prosperity and unity.”

British Deputy High Commissioner to Abuja, Gill Lever, noted that women must unite to become unstoppable, urging them not to allow society to judge them on balancing multiple roles with governance.

The foundation’s research findings, presented by the Programmes Officer, Taiwo Adeleye, revealed that 82 per cent of respondents cited lack of women presented as candidates by political parties as a major reason for voting men over women.

Additionally, 76 per cent of respondents said they were influenced by party leaders, their husbands, spiritual leaders, and cultural norms that women cannot lead, while 68 per cent cited a lack of empathy for women in power who are arrogant and inaccessible while 42 per cent cited inexperience as reason for not voting women.

“The data supported by MacArthur Foundation surveyed women across the 36 states and FCT on barriers to women’s political inclusion reinforcing urgent need for engagement with political parties, grassroots women voters and custodians of our culture.”

President of Women in Politics Forum, Barrister Ebere Ifendu, warned that without grassroots women support, the Special Seats Bill would fail, saying “we must educate every women to vote wisely.”

Executive Director of IyaMopo Centre for Peace, Sherifat Taleat, and Bilikisu Yakubu of Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative, called for tactical unity among women, advised women in office to make themselves accessible to their constituencies, and urged women to understand community needs and tailor agendas to suit their needs.