As part of the efforts to advance inclusivity and gender participation in the Nigerian political system, the International Press Centre and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers have identified the financial burden placed on the political system and lack of media projection as key factors impeding women’s involvement in key political positions in the country.
As part of the efforts to advance inclusivity and gender participation in the Nigerian political system, the International Press Centre and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers have identified the financial burden placed on the political system and lack of media projection as key factors impeding women’s involvement in key political positions in the country.
These observations were made in a communique issued and signed by Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of IPC and Maureen Chigbo, the President of GOCOP after a one-day consultative meeting that was held on Tuesday in Abuja to dialogue on how to advance inclusive reporting of gender issues in Nigeria’s electoral and democratic processes to elevate women’s voices in Nigeria’s political landscape and ensure democratic accountability for women-focused campaign promises.
The consultative meeting, which was attended by the national leadership of GOCOP, online publishers and at least a media manager from the print media, was supported by the European Union through the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGNII) programme to deliberate on how further to promote women’s voices and participation in political positions.
Speaking on how to utilise media power to promote electoral outcomes and reforms in promoting women’s issues, Ms. Anikeade Funke-Treasure, the Executive Director of Illuminate Nigeria Development Network, urged the media practitioners to focus on stories electoral issues and political issues through intense reporting and advocacy in support of reforms and policies that would enhance women representation.
The stakeholders who attended the consultative meeting further raised concerns in their observations about the poor attention to women’s issues in most national electoral dialogues, with grassroots women, in particular, being denied a voice and representation. As a result, women’s desire to participate actively in politics has continued to decline.
The stakeholders stated that the high cost of obtaining nominations to vie for offices from political parties and campaigns for elective positions poses a significant challenge for many women politicians to participate. Additionally, they noted that some social and cultural practices and beliefs in certain parts of the country also serve as restrictions to women’s full participation.
Furthermore, the stakeholders also observed patriarchal challenges as a wall against women’s aspiration to participate in electoral positions, as the stereotypical beliefs limit their access to explore the political terrain like their male counterparts. This has led to a decline in women’s aspirations to vie for notable positions.
Having identified the key challenges restraining women’s participation, the participants reached a consensus that “GOCOP and its members should utilise their power to promote and spotlight the electoral issues, fortunes and outcomes of women, change their narrative, and make their platforms available for women’s visibility in the nation’s electoral processes;
“GOCOP and its members should play a lead role in the renewed campaign for women to participate fully in the electoral arena by highlighting the achievements of the few in elective positions and identifying and amplifying the voices of others still in the background;
In a specific attempt to bolster women’s participation in politics, the capacity of those already in elective positions should be enhanced so they can be knowledgeable, capable, and strong enough to serve as models for upcoming female politicians.
“IPC/GOCOP should, within a short period, begin a series of interactive sessions with elected female legislators, starting with Kwara State, for dialogues that would elicit information that can be publicly projected as models for other states and also for the appreciation of women’s contributions in the democratic space;
“IPC and GOCOP working with other media interest groups like the Nigeria Women Association of Journalists (NAWOJ) should facilitate interactive sessions with community and religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders to sensitise them about the importance of encouraging women to enter politics.
“GOCOP’s 120 members should create special sections for women-focused content on their platforms and establish a partnership framework with IPC that generates content and information on women’s political participation while continuously highlighting the challenges facing female political actors.
“GOCOP members should, through their platforms, promote advocacy for the fulfilment of the global 35 per cent affirmative action target for women at the Federal, State and local levels;
GOCOP should support policy and legislative measures to reduce the burden of campaign finance on women while tabling the same issue before political parties.
The stakeholders also urged online editors to encourage journalists to continue enhancing their skills in inclusive reporting by taking advantage of the virtual training platform to be established by IPC and CEMESO.
