By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto
Barrister Ebere Ifendu, President Women in Politics Forum made this known while addressing newsmen at the NUJ Conference Hall along Zuru road, Sokoto.
She said the briefing was organized to address the issues identified in research conducted on interrogating the policy interventions to increase women’s participation in governance in Nigeria.
She said this Intervention is part of the execution of the Improving Electoral Intergrity and Accountability Foundation implemented by WRAPA in partnership with Nigerian Women Trust Fund, 100 Women Lobby Group and Elect Her.
A non-profit, non-partisan civil society organization with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) status, the Barrister said it recognizes the marginalization of women in politics, decision making and the importance of unity regardless of political parties affiliation, to give a voice to women in Leadership.
She explained that 1,101 candidates are vying for 109 Senatorial seats while 3,122 are contesting for House of Representatives saying the analysis of the candidates according to gender shows that there is only 1 female candidate for the Presidential election.
Here in Sokoto, according to the Barrister,during the 2019 general elections as she observed, no woman was elected at the National, or state House of Assembly.
However, “from the INEC candidate list recently published, seems to be a ray of hope for the Sokoto women to be represented at the National Assembly with 5 women as candidates to the House of Representatives though none is from the two major political parties”, a erred the Barrister.
She also said considering the population of women and their level of education, 40%of the political positions is supposed to be maitaned by female gender.
She then said Women in Politics Forum is placing demands on various stakeholders as Judiciary, Executive, Legislature, Media and Security Agencies among others, with the hope that together the nation will change the political history with more women.
