‘Women have to seize power from men’

In order to become successful and prominent in politics and governance in Nigeria, women have to seize power from the men who are currently dominant in the two sectors and have always been and are not ready to allow women have a say in them.

This was part of the submission of Waheed Ishola, Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Lagos during Advancing Women in Governance and Political Participation, a one-day development forum/workshop held on Tuesday, October 24 at the All Seasons Conference Centre, Agidingbi, Lagos.

Organized by the International Press Centre (IPC) Lagos with the support of UKAID through the Department for International Development (DFID) and ACTIONAID Nigeria, Ishola didn’t mince words while speaking at the forum, saying, “You women have to take the power from us men. No one’s going to give it to you. You have to come together to seize the power. You also have to be ready to make sacrifices in order to attain power as power can’t be obtained without sacrifices. This is your time, the coming 2019 elections, and it’s up to you to ensure that you are elected into office.”

Also speaking, Ijeoma Okey-Igbokwe, representative of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Lagos said, “INEC is interested in women participation in politics. The commission is working assiduously to have a gender-balanced democracy. INEC in every state has a gender unit to support women in politics.

“We encourage them through programmes and legal framework to help them become active members in all parties. Women have potentials in all cadres to take over governance in the country and should not see contesting as a competition, rather a healthy exercise to show their strength and be counted for.

“I believe that what a woman can do, a woman can do better. I don’t like to subscribe to the other saying that ‘what a man can do, a woman can do better’ as that pits the men against us and makes them work against us.  

“Democracy without gender balance is not democracy. Only seven women in the senate is not democracy. There should be gender balance in everything. So I expect women to do everything they can to be part of the action.

“Women have the numbers so should not complain. Only that we don’t love ourselves. We are not disadvantaged. We have women of honour, intelligence. Female doctors, nurses work in the night so female politicians should be ready for the political night meetings.”

The theme was presented by Mrs Jumoke Anifowoshe, a seasoned politician; former Ondo State gubernatorial candidate; daughter of the Yoruba legend, Adekunle Ajasin; lawyer; and gender advocate.

Speaking on the topic, Advancing Women in Political Participation and Governance: Overview of the Issues and Prospects for Strategic Positioning and Networking, she narrated her experiences in politics, stating that despite her being capable to be Ondo State Governor or a Senator, she wasn’t voted for mainly because she’s a woman, the men in her party were against her, and worst of all, the women too, as the women have the impression that it’s not yet time for a woman to be a Governor in Nigeria.

“I rose from the lowest rungs of the ladder to become my party’s state chairman in Ondo and surprised everyone with my performance so the next logical step was for me to be Governor or Senator but the party leaders were against me and the other women in the party were chickenhearted and couldn’t stick out their necks for me.

“So why low women participation in politics? Women have more challenges than men. Family commitment, culture, intimidation, sexual harassment, social constraints, violence, religion, money, educational disadvantage. Women are breadwinners so can’t afford to devote time to politics as their children will suffer thereby. Husbands don’t permit their wives to do politics. I know a lady whose marriage crashed because of her political activities.

“Presently, all party chairmen are men. Their secretaries are men. Women should rise up and demand for our share. When will it be time for a woman to rule? It has to start one day, and better now than later and women and female politicians must get a woman to be a Governor in 2019 in any state whatsoever.

“They give women local government chairmanships but monitor them with a man. And you can’t do what your conscience tells you to as the chairman because they are monitoring you. But women can be a part of history to elect the first female Governor or even President. They can save for and contribute to that history which will change the course of all our lives forever.

“Also, women have to take a stand that if it’s not a woman contesting, they won’t vote. We can do it and if we do, we will be taken seriously henceforth. Women should be in power because we are sympathetic like Angela Merkel of Germany who allowed refugees into her country, though it later backfired. It’s time for us to lead.”

Ada-Gina Ude, Executive Director, Gender And Development Action, spoke on the topic, Taking the Spaces through Grassroots Political Positioning, said, “We need more women in governance to make things truly better. Mechanisms must be set in place to allow women participation in politics. Doing the right thing does not help women progress in politics.

“Many women have done all the right things, invested money, time, effort, and still didn’t succeed. Mny countries have realized this and that’s why they have a quota for women. So we must change the system, socially, how we run our lives, familes, and even up to the Constitution. Does the Constitution allow for equality? 

“Women leaders can bring about change in their parties.” She then differed with Okey-Igbokwe on the controversial issue of politicians meeting in the night, saying, “The issue of night meetings can be changed if women demand for it. In the UK, when the Labour Party wanted to excel, they realized they needed the support of women so they told the women to support them and the women said they have to give them prominent positions in the party but they said they can’t and the women said they wouldn’t support them if they didn’t so they agreed. Likewise, they used to have night meetings too but the women demanded for it to be changed and they got their wish.”

Speaking further, Anifowoshe said, “Our success as women in politics and governance is in our hands. If we cooperate, the sky’s our limit. And if not, we pay the price together.”

Contributing to the issue, one of the female participants said women in prominent positions are not fighting for them. Another asked how a woman can participate in politics if her husband doesn’t allow her. Another said a woman can participate in politics but not at the detriment of her marriage as a woman without a husband is a failure.

Another said that women should stop seeing themselves as inferior and vote and participate in politics while another said they should stop feeling voting is a waste of time because of their past votes that they feel were wasted. 

In conclusion, they all agreed that women are the problem of women in politics and that they all have to come together and support a woman to a prominent office regardless of her religion, party, ethnicity and so on.