The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Laure Beaufils has called on Women in Nigeria on Tuesday to support each other most especially to organize vote for themselves in the 2019 elections to increase their involvement in governance.
Speaking at the One Day Stakeholders Workshop on “Enhancing Women Participation in the Electoral Process’’ organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in partnership with Lagos State Gender Advocacy Team (LASGAT) Beaufils gave the advice.
Beaufils who spoke on the topic, “Mobilizing Women for Active Participation in Electoral Process’’ urged Nigerian women to support themselves during elections.
“It is actually central to have more women in politics, more women in government because women bring a different perspective and a different history and experience of life.
“It is also fair; having women in government leads to changes in legislation and in policy here and in the world all over.
“Women need to be get organized, believe in themselves to vote for themselves and to make a change — and it’s not going to be easy; it’s going to take time, but it can happen.
“We see in Rwanda, we have 68 percent of women in politics. Women have to vote for themselves and make sure they express their voices in the political parties and decision-making processes and make their voice to be reckoned with.
“We want women to get organised, to want it, to never give up and to show leadership,’’ she said.
The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, said that as the 2019 elections approaches, it is fundamental for women to start now by getting involved and developing themselves.
She further noted that several factors over time has threatened women’s participation of in politics such as discrimination, harassment and violence among others.
However, she urged women to put pressure on their representatives and political parties in a bid to demand their rights of representation.
Another speaker, Dr Abiola Akiode-Afolabi of Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) equally described gender in Nigeria as “a marathon and not a race’’.
Akiode-Afolabi, while delivering a speech on “Women Participation in Elections – the Nigeria Experience’’, called for unity among women for both appointive and elective positions.
She stressed that Nigerian women’s participation in the electoral process had been characterized by discrimination and exclusionary practices.
“An emerging democracy such as Nigeria ought to provide a level playing field for all citizens, irrespective of sex and economic class, either as a member of a political party or as an independent candidate.
“We need to activate gender policy of INEC and political parties. We need to begin to look at the structure of political parties to change things.
In summation she said that there is the need to build an alliance amongst women.
“We need to encourage more women to join political parties; we need to build an alliance among ourselves, insist on internal party democracy.’’
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