BY OLUWATOSIN IGHOTEGUONO & AUGUSTINA OKINEDO
Ahead of the November 16 Governorship Election in Ondo State, some groups have engaged women on the need to show more interest in politics and governance in order to be well represented.
The engagement took place during a town hall meeting organised by the National Association of Women Journalists NAWOJ, in collaboration with Women Voice, and Leadership Project WVL of ACTION AID Nigeria funded by Global Affairs, Canada alongside league of women voters NILOWV, and women in politics forum WIPF, held in Akure, Ondo State capital.
The town hall meeting with the theme “Engaging Grassroots Women for Robust Political Participation” gave the women the opportunity to speak out on some of the challenges being faced in the political scene.
The National President, Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Comrade Aisha Ibrahim represented by the Vice Chairperson, north central Zone, Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche said Nigeria was signatories to many chatters that protected the rights of women but lamented they had not been implemented.
Comrade Ibrahim who said women should be given leadership roles in governance and other social fora said gone were the days when women were relegated to mere house wives and back benchers.
She pledged that NAWOJ would continue to work towards building the capacity of women through enlightenment and advocacy.
The representative of The Nigeria League of women Voters ,Mrs Omotomilewa Olamousi charged women to go all out to register and vote during elections.
Mrs Olamousi informed that although the political stage was very volatile, women should not be intimidated as they could get involved at the grassroots and gradually grow to the top.
In her submission, a former commissioner for women affairs in Ondo state and coordinator women in politics, Dr Yemi Mahmood encouraged women to take up politics as a career especially with the advent of female political academy that teaches them the basics of politics.
Also speaking ,The Vice President B Zone nawoj, Comrade Adeola Adekunle acknowledged that if women, especially those with first hand knowledge of community needs, were actively involved in politics, more government policies would be in favour of women.
Two of the participants, Mrs Evelyn Pius and Mrs Toun Aribisala Lamented that it was becoming difficult for women to compete in the political arena due to financial constraints.
The Chairman ,Nigeria Union of Journalist,NUJ Prince Leke Adegbite pledged full coverage of women activities regardless of the circumstances and sought more empowerment for female Journalists in the state through training ahead of the governorship election in November 16th, 2024.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ in Ondo state, Comrade Tola Gbadamosi expressed Happiness over the town hall meeting which she said had built capacity of women to understand their roles in political participation for adequate representation.
Participants included members of Women Civil Societies, NGOs, FOMWAN, Female Transporters, Gender-based organizations, Market women, Artisans among others