Statistical evidence, Igbanoi posited, has established the stark reality of women exclusion from the political sphere. Instances include the following: “Women make up only about 4.2% of legislators in the National Assembly with only four senators out of 109; 16 members out of 360 federal representatives. This reality is worse at the state level, where about five states have only one female lawmaker, while 14-15 states do not have a single female lawmaker in the House of Assembly. With four women (10 percent) out of 40 members in the Lagos State House of Assembly, the audience can decide if that reflects progress.
“These figures are not just discouraging but deeply embarrassing. They locate Nigeria very close to the bottom of the ladder of legislatures across the globe that do not consider female representation important for democratic and national development. Nigeria should certainly not be doing 4.2 percent of female representation at the NASS when countries like Rwanda, South Africa, Namibia, and Ethiopia are doing 61.3, 46.2, 44.2, and 41.3 percent, respectively, of women in their national parliaments. Women’s political representation, of course, should not be one of tokenism, where we simply tick numbers and pat ourselves on the back. Rather, their participation should be viewed as critical for the health and sustenance of our democracy and national development. When women are included in leadership and decision-making processes, societies prosper and issues like poverty and inequality, poor levels of education, healthcare inequities, economic exclusions, and social justice, among others, are addressed more effectively.”
It is only against this background and context that the beauty and timeliness of the decision of UN Women, NILDS, Canada, to collaborate in providing platforms that help women politicians to expand their representation capacities can be understood and appreciated.
It is common knowledge that Nigeria is home to millions of women whose potentials remain largely untapped due to exclusion from political and decision-making spaces.
Although Osafile was able to “overcome the barriers of big money in politics, verbal and physical assaults, and other forms of intimidation to get to LSHA,” as Igbanoi noted, he said: “When women want to contest for political office, we must ensure that the playing field is not only level, but also one of fair and equitable outcomes. Thus, political parties, governments at all levels and other stakeholders must do their part in empowering women, especially through inclusive public policymaking and legislative and constitutional reforms to ensure women’s fair access to the political sphere. Effective constituency outreaches hold the potential of reshaping our political landscape and ensuring that Nigeria’s future is one of social inclusion and progress.” For Nigerian women to break into and achieve spectacular success of the kind recorded by women across the world like the late Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May, Kemi Badenoch (Britain), Hilary Clinton, VP Kamala Harris (USA who was first elected as Attorney General of California and later US Senator on the Judiciary Committee), Elaine Sirleaf-Johnson (Liberia), the keynote speaker, Dr Lemmy Omololu Omoyinmi, expressed his belief that the sure path is for women to deploy the God-given maternal instinct that has served them well through generations right from creation, by seeking at all times the well being of the nation just as they naturally do in nurturing children and managing their homes (husbands, children and material resources) with uncommon dexterity and the same level of dedication, diligence and focus exemplified by Uruvashti.
His words: “This topic is not only close to my heart but is also vital to the progress of our society and our nation. Empowering women is no longer a choice, it is necessary for achieving inclusive governance and sustainable development.”I have come to understand most of the time that we are mentally astute, we know what is right to do but when it comes to acting on what is right, many a time we fall short on what is expected in terms of appropriate action.
“I hold the woman in very high esteem. When I review my life most of the time I say to myself if it were not for women I cannot stay home busy even though I’m always behaving like a vegetable in their presence but they have so much affective power that you have to just recognise the force of a woman, the force of femininity and if that force is not well orchestrated no collective group of people can advance. If man truly wants to progress let the man find the woman who will be his friend, otherwise advancement can be limited. So, God himself who is our Creator has His very reason for creating the woman.
“The woman is the incubator of creativity and depending on her choice and her intent that creativity may take a downward spiral or it may take us on an upward spiral so the woman is the torch of the future; the woman is the one who defines what a society becomes.
“We can equip a woman to be a constructive force for the emergence of a future. That’s why our Honourable Osafile is very charismatic. True leadership is committed to making things beautiful.
“Women are mothers and symbols of peace and security. I believe that before women enter public service, especially political service, they should have a strong understanding of managing resources effectively, using the wisdom of economics, which entails the skill of using resources wisely. Whether it is in the household or in the neighbourhood, we are political, and women must understand what it takes to play in politics, understanding that politics itself is an aspect of governance. They all must master what governance implies and live out their lives being equipped to be in governance. In the very inner core of an authentic woman it must be that she is standing firm and she is free from greed.”