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At VOW 2023, stakeholders chart path for more women representation in leadership positions

Stakeholders at the 2023 Voice of Women (VOW) Conference and Awards have reiterated the need for more women representation in politics and other positions of leadership.

The conference, which took place at the NAF Conference Centre, in Abuja, with the theme, ‘Repositioning Women for Greater Impact’ was organised by Women FM and supported by the MacArthur Foundation.

Speakers at the event from Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia and Liberia stressed that barriers such as cultural, traditional, financial, that mitigate against leadership of women in politics, especially in Africa, need to be broken.

Chairperson of the conference and wife of former governor of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, in her address, noted that despite the many efforts geared towards more representation of Nigerian women in various spheres of life, the country still ranks low on most global indicators measuring gender equality and women empowerment.

Fayemi said, “Nigerian women are among the better educated and wealthiest women in Africa, yet this has not translated into political power. The level of representation of women in elective positions has gone down during the past four general elections. Nigeria is not only one of the countries of the world with the lowest level of women’s representation in elective office but also where very little progress has been made in promoting gender equality.

“In Nigeria, women occupy about 30 percent of all posts in the public sector and 17 percent in senior management and decision-making positions. It is also worth mentioning that no female governor has ever been elected in any of the 36 states of the federation.”

On the way forward, Fayemi stressed the need for political will, commitment, collaboration and negotiations across board.

She said, “Regardless of the platforms we occupy, we all have a role starting from wherever we believe we have influence. We need personal commitments to social change, qualitative legal and policy frameworks that can remove oppressive patriarchal norms and values, comprehensive implementation frameworks, investments of appropriate financial, material, human and technical resources and significant political will to make these commitments meaningful in the lives of African women.

“The human rights of women are non-negotiable and inviolable. Every girl who is denied an education, every woman who is raped, tortured or killed, every woman who is denied a seat at the table, every woman who is vilified and humiliated in public and private takes us further away from the development, peace and sanity we deserve as a nation and as a continent.

“We will not achieve any of our developmental goals if women are left behind. Our demands for the quantitative and qualitative representation of women at all levels will continue. We need to position women in leadership who are competent and capable, passionate and knowledgeable enough to drive agendas of change.”

In his speech, Kwara State governor and Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said his administration has enacted a legislation that mandates subsequent administrations in the state to ensure at least 35 percent women representation in all appointive positions.

AbdulRazaq noted that the conscious decision to ensure women inclusion in his government and women-friendly policies has had appreciable impact in the state.

He also proposed a N5 billion incentive for states with more women representation in legislative and appointive positions, saying “I am certain that many constituencies will go for the money and by going for the money, they will get women on the table to make the right decisions, to make the change.

“In the last election cycle and move for constitutional amendment, nothing was really achieved but a lot of work was done. This is another cycle and we have a president that is gender sensitive and I think this is the right time to push again for a constitutional amendment. Also, when you do it this time, there must be a plan B.”

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who was represented at the event by the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr Mrs Salma Anas, said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is committed to women inclusion in critical aspects of national development.

Anas said, “Our mission here is to chart a course towards repositioning Nigerian women in governance and leadership, paving the way for a greater future as we approach 2027. The outcome of this meeting should be more about brainstorming, learning lessons and coming up with a road map that will guide policy development and will guide us towards innovative changes.

“Change is desirable for our overall development as a country where women will be given critical spaces to contribute significantly to national development and overall sectors of development. Where you have women, we will definitely see the changes happening. They must be on the table where decisions are taken. They must be at the table where implementation plans are being rolled out.”

Wife of Kwara State governor and Chairperson of the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, said relevant and practical steps must be taken to reposition women in all fields of endeavour.

She said, “While today’s event is essentially to bring to the fore the impact women can make when given a fair competitive chance in all spheres of endeavour, this convergence also provides the opportunity to celebrate women, especially those who have carved a niche for themselves in their respective callings while reaffirming that there should be no limit to the dream and aspiration of every woman and girl irrespective of their religion or socio-cultural leanings.

“Women, you will agree with me, play pivotal roles in national development, yet their participation is limited by sometimes cultural, socio-political and economic barriers. Though several policies and initiatives have been put in place to promote gender balance, gaps still exist in economic empowerment and leadership.

“In view of this, as stakeholders, it is imperative for us to share knowledge, experiences and expertise to involve innovative solutions to reposition women for greater impact while deploying relevant and practical strategies to promote the participation of women in fields and strengthen partnerships and collaboration for the advancement of women and gender balance in Nigeria.”

In her address, convener of the conference and Chief Executive Officer, Women Radio 91.7fm, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, said the organisation is determined to promote women-related issues through its various programmes and interventions.

She said such interventions include the establishment of the Women Radio Centre, with support from the MacArthur Foundation, which is the first female academy for the training of female journalists; training of political reporters in the build-up to the 2023 general election and the hosting of ReportHer Awards to recognise media organisations and journalists prioritising the reportage of women.

The conference also had the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Chief Jewel Taylor, who was represented by the country’s Chief of Staff, in attendance.

It also featured fireside chats with Yemi Adenuga, the first female black councilor for Meath County, Ireland and four fellows of the Women Radio Centre: Blessing Oladunjoye of BONews, Hadiza Yahaya Abubakar of BUK TV and Radio, Grace Obike of The Nation and Angela Nkwo-Akpolu of Leadership Newspapers.

It had panel sessions with wives of the governors of Osun State, Titilola Adeleke; Ebonyi State, Mary-Maudline Nwifuru; Gombe and Sokoto States on solidarity collaborations with their initiatives to reposition women for leadership development.

Another panel session on ‘The Path for a Progressive Nigeria’ had the Deputy Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Republic of Namibia, Honourable Maureen Magreth Hinda-Mbuende; Commissioner, National Gender and Equality Commission, Republic of Kenya, Dr Margaret Karungaru; Executive Director, Sustainable Gender Action Initiative, Mufuliat Fijabi and Yemi Adenuga as panellists.

Awards were also presented to individuals and organisations promoting women’s causes.

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