Sequel to the decline in the percentages of women’s representation in leadership and political positions aftermath of the 2023 general elections, ElectHer a non-governmental organization in conjunction with International Republican Institute has launched a roadmap to the inclusion of the female gender in the country’s political space.

Presenting a keynote speech, Solape Sonuga, the Policy and Strategic Partnership Manager, ElectHer noted that although Nigeria’s women participation has increased in the past years, the country’s inclusivity is still performing below 30 per cent which is recommended by the United Nations.

Highlighting the barriers to women’s political participation, Ms Sonuga enlisted culture, lack of adequate education, poor media coverage, lack of effective government and access to resources and opportunities as the major hurdles for women to thrive in leadership.

The event which took place on Tuesday 27th, June, 2023 was attended by Civil Society Organisations, Media and other stakeholders and was targeted at promoting the need for women to participate actively and to bridge the gap that serves as a barrier for female representation in the country

In her opening address, Etty Victor the Programme Officer of the IRI urged the participants to collaborate with some of the plans highlighted by Electher to change the snail driving of the women’s progress in political and leadership participation.

She also stated that the roadmap which was collectively documented will serve as an advocacy for women to have an electoral reformation process which will encourage women to be more inclined to the requirements they are expected to meet to have more inclusivity in the country.

She acknowledged the roles of the civil society organisations that have been dedicated to women-related activities. She, however, indicated that despite the efforts by the NGOs and other stakeholders, the narrative still remains the same

“Although women in Nigeria are increasingly interested in participating in political leadership, their participation is limited and falls short of the 30% minimum gender quota recommended by the United Nations.

“As acknowledged by the United Nations, civil society organisations (CSOs) have made significant contributions to the “work of increasing women’s participation in decision-making at all levels of society” (UN, 2008). Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria, with the support of international development partners, have developed programs aimed at encouraging women to demand greater political representation.

“Their activities have contributed immensely to the growth of the women’s movement, through which they advocate for women’s political participation as well as gender equity in policy provisions”, she said.

She also enlisted the objectives in the roadmap to create fair ground for women to participate more actively in politics. “The objectives of this roadmap are to Facilitate Women’s Inclusion in the political hierarchy and adoption as party candidates by at least 35% in the 2027 general elections,

“Improve and control the narrative of media coverage for women in the Nigerian political space towards reducing media stereotyping and enhancing visibility for women in politics by at least 60% before the 2027 elections, control and minimise the impact of cultural and religious norms on politically exposed women in Nigeria, establish an institutional mechanism that compels the adoption of female candidacy and makes political participation attractive and rewarding for women and strengthen the capacity of women to generate income and mobilise for campaigns”, she concluded.