As part of activities organised in commemoration of this year’s Women’s History Month, a civil society organisation (CSO), TechHerNG has called for increased fairness in the reportage of women, especially concerning corruption and anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria.
This call was made at an International Women’s Day virtual summit hosted in collaboration with the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), MacArthur Foundation, & Gender Strategy Advocacy International (GSAID) titled “Shining Lights: Women & Nigeria’s Anti-corruption Effort.”
The event, part of the “She Did That!” project, provided an avenue for women in public service to share lessons learnt while holding public office while proffering tangible solutions to push back against corrupt practices and increase the number of women in governance and leadership spaces.
Attended by women from several works of life, panellists at the event underscored the need to model civic participation and governance at various levels for women. More importantly, however, they outlined the problem of unnecessary scrutiny, burdensome expectations and outright exclusion of women in leadership roles due to gender-based perceptions. They also stressed the need for accountability in public spaces from various sectors, including the press and civil society.
Executive Director, GSAID, Adaora Onyechere, noted the timely nature of the event with the just concluded Nigerian House of Representative elections highlighting the low inclusion of women in political positions. She also spoke against the unfair public scrutiny female politicians are routinely subjected to by virtue of being women. “Women and Men are not placed on the same pedestal of scrutiny and accountability when it comes to corruption allegations,” she said.
TechHer’s Executive Director, Chioma Agwuegbo, further stressed this point in her paper presentation titled: “The Dynamics of Corruption in Nigeria: Contextualising Disproportionate Condemnation of Women.” She pointed to how gender-based perceptions of corruption inhibit women from pursuing leadership positions.
“Studies from the World Bank have shown a link between higher female representation in governance and reduced levels of corruption. However, perception and coverage of Nigerian women alleged to engage in corrupt practices have been disproportionate,” she said.
She outlined how media framing had harmed women’s leadership aspirations throughout history and spoke on the importance of accountability, transparency and efficiency in public service. She added that these values could be achieved by increasing the number of women in governance spaces.
Policy and Campaign Director for Christian Aid UK, Osai Ojigbo, spoke on the dangers of digital attacks on the reputation of women in visible leadership positions. She also pointed to the adverse effects on women, including diminishing their impact or work significance.
“If you have to listen to everyone who disagrees with you, you will not grow. The aim is to keep focused on your goal because you know what you’re doing is right,” she said.
Founder & Executive Director of WARD-C, Abiola Akiyode, called on women who share the same values and purpose to build up movement structures to help them take up leadership positions and fight against corrupt practices in the country.
She emphasised the need for women to be relevant in their communities to ensure that the calibre of women in public service remains focused on delivering accountability, transparency and efficiency at the heart of their work.
The event ended with a call to action for women to aspire to assume more leadership positions and demand accountability in public spaces. TechHer expressed its commitment to continuing the “She Did That!” project and creating more platforms for women to share experiences, strategies and solutions in their fight against corruption.