A former Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Olubunmi Adelugba, has bemoaned the declining number of women in elective offices despite efforts by non-state actors to raise awareness for more participation of female politicians in politics.
Adelugba spokes in Abuja on Thursday during the launch of Network of Female Politicians For More.
This initiative aimed at promoting increased women’s representation in elected office ahead of the 2027 general elections.
To further buttress her worry, she recalled that only four of the current 109 Senators are women while another 17 struggled to secure their seats in the House of Representatives.
Her concern comes five months after the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, advocated the active participation of women to reshape the nation and address societal ills plaguing the female gender. https://punchng.com/nation-building-remi-tinubu-solicits-active-womens-participation/
Speaking at the network’s launch, the ex-speaker pledged that the network would play an important role in ensuring the target is achieved as the 2027 elections draw near.
She said, “This is a growing concern for well-meaning Nigerians, whether state or non-state actors. Available statistics show that the national average of women’s political participation in Nigeria has remained at 6.7 per cent in elective and appointive positions, which is far below the global average of 22.5 per cent, African regional average of 23.4 per cent, and the West African sub-regional average of 15 per cent.
“Presently, only four out of 109 Senators are women while only 17 out of 360 House of Representatives members are women. The situation is the same at the sub-national level, where only 48 out of 988 state assembly seats are held by women. There is currently no female governor and only six out of 36 deputy governors are women.”
According to her, the lacklustre performance of some female candidates and aspirants in the general elections of 2023 demonstrated the need for networks and relevant players to work with on women’s inclusion at all levels.
The European Union delegation to Nigeria during the 2024 International Women Day’s celebration weeks ago urged political parties to adopt robust measures and strategies to increase women’s participation and representation. https://punchng.com/iwd-eu-urges-political-parties-to-increase-womens-participation-in-politics/