Kalu charges women to get involved in leadership at grassroot

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has advised Nigerian women to get involved in leadership at the grassroots.

Kalu gave the charge, while received members of the Women Round-table for Development and Good Governance, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, at the National Assembly.

Kalu, according to a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, said it’s important for women, aside from seats in the federal legislature, women should also advocate for councillorship seats, at the local government level, and House of Assembly seats in the states.

The deputy speaker, who observed that the advocacy has been centred mainly around the federal legislature, said that leadership should start from the grassroots to reflect the bottom to top approach.

He said, ” I must say that in a society striving for equitable development, addressing fundamental issues like gender equality, inclusiveness is imperative. In Nigeria where women and girls constitute 49.32% of our population. The representation in institutions, especially the legislature, like you just mentioned now, which currently has about 4% of the women, needs urgent attention.

” But beyond that, it is important for women to know that the federal legislature is not only the political platform for their participation, there are other leadership gaps, from councillorship positions in our local government to members of the House of Assembly in our states. It appears to me the advocacy has been centred only around federal legislature.”

Kalu added ” The bottom- top approach is that we should accommodate that leadership should start from the grassroots. It is high time the women started looking at available opportunities. Where these various gender imbalances exist and begin to drive it, because everything that is handed over to the women multiplies.

“It have been proven time and again. If that is the case, like we know is the case, how come the local governments are not feeling the impact of these women’s participation? How come the advocacy is not resonating at the local government level, at the state level? I’m not hearing of advocacy at the state level for women participation.”

Earlier, the leader of the advocacy group, Princess Nikky Onyeri appealed to the Deputy Speaker to help ensure that the gender bills when reintroduced, get the support of his colleagues.