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From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Prof Edith Nwosu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, has charged women to get more involved in politics as well seek elective and leadership positions in order to impact society positively.
Prof Nwosu gave the charge on Tuesday in Nsukka during a Round Table with female Professors of the University of Nigeria, organised by the Gender and Development Policy Centre University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to mark 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD).
She said that women are naturally endowed with good quality and as such should come together, get involved in private and public spheres with the aim of achieving a gender-equal world to better society.
‘We cannot sit in our comfort zone and expect the needed change for the gender-equality society we are clamouring for to happen overnight.
‘We must get involved in politics at any level we found ourselves as well activate our intuition and other special qualities God created woman with to seek and occupy leadership positions both in public and private sectors,’ she said.
The DVC wondered why women who direct their homes perfectly, nurture and looks after the children can not direct the nation.
‘If I am good to direct my home take good care of the children as a woman, who said I cannot direct the nation?
‘Who said women can’t govern a state, head and preside over a ministry?
‘Women should stop seeing politics as a dirty game, it is not dirty, we must all partake in politics to push against policies that discriminate against women’s equality.
‘Records has shown that country and organisations headed by a woman are the most peaceful and progressive,’ she said.
Nwosu urged the female professors and other women to come together, support themselves and break the bias that is impeding them from seeking and aspiring for leadership positions in the field of their endovenous.
Earlier in a remark, Prof Anthonia Achike, the Director of the Gender and Development Policy Center UNN said that the theme for 2022 IWD, ”Gender Equality today for sustainable Tomorrow”, is apt for female professors because of their actions and inactions in their quest for leadership positions at different levels.
‘Many female professors are qualified or even overqualified by all standards to occupy leadership positions, but seems not to be exploiting the opportunity available to them to sell their potentials.
‘This our roundtable advocacy for them to re-jig and re-set their mindsets by encouraging them and later advocate to the university administration to also encourage them and mainstream gender in appointments,’ she said.
Dr Raymond Adibe, Deputy Director at Gen-Cent, UNN, while making a presentation on the gender composition of Principal Officers, Council Members, Deans and Head of Departments in UNN said: ‘According to statistics, women in the university are lagging behind both in appointments and elective posts.’
He pointed out that some faculties in the university have never elected a female as Dean since inception, adding that most faculties only had female Dean elected only once.
Backing his claim with example Adibe said ‘currently, out of seven principal officers of UNN, only two are female,’ he noted.
Also, Prof Grace Offorma, the chairman of the occasion and Convener of UNN Female Professors Forum expressed happiness that the world has started recognising women and what they can do.
‘We the female professors in UNN are trying to contribute our quoter in the development and success of women.
‘We are also championing the cause for women’s equality in the appointment and elective posts here in UNN through advocacy and agitation,’ she said.
Prof Uche Azikiwe, widow of the first President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, was among the female professors that attended the occasion.
