From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, and Executive Director of WomenAid Collective (WACOL) Prof Joy Ngozi Ezeilo have drummed support for a female lawmaker to be elected as deputy speaker in the House of Representatives.
They made the call at the launch of the 50-50 women advocacy group by WomenAid Collective (WACOL), recently in Abuja.
Tallen noted that she had no regrets about backing the 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Aisha Binani Dahiru.
She regretted that women still face discrimination and bias in their workplaces, religious gatherings and cultural and political settings.
The minister emphasised the power of women-led advocacy and the vital role it plays in shaping society, adding that women have championed social change and gender equity.
“I don’t regret standing by Binani and I will continue supporting all female candidates.
“With the poor representation of women, we want to ensure that we have a woman as deputy speaker to help push our case.
“From the spike in gender-based violence cases in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the build-up to the Constitution Amendment process and the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, we witnessed the power of this movement every day.
“From the women who are leading the charge for Zero Tolerance to Gender-Based Violence, to keeping girls in schools and fighting to end child marriage in our communities, to the activists demanding for an increase in women’s participation in politics, women-led advocacy is making a real difference in the lives of people all over Nigeria.
“No matter the disappointment we witnessed, we cannot stop now. We must continue to speak up, to stand together, and to fight for what is right.
“We must continue to build a society, where women are free to be who they want to be, to pursue their dreams, and to live without fear.
“So let us all commit to being women-led advocates. Let us use our voices, our talents, and our resources to create a Nigeria society that is more just and equitable for all.
Also, a member of the House of Representatives, Miriam Onuoha, gunning for the deputy speakership slot, urged the APC leadership to reconsider the party’s choice for the position of deputy speaker in the 10th assembly.
Onuoha said women deserved fair representation in the leadership of the national assembly.
She said: “As a woman I will not take to violence and anything inimical to the image of the institution which I represent. We want our party leaders to stand for what is right. Party supremacy is right to the extent that it does not reduce human dignity. I am not an appendage to any man.
“When policies are made and not well accepted by the public, leaders go back to the table and ensure that the right thing is done.
“If we are not on the decision table as women, that means issues concerning women cannot be treated well. This is one last chance for us to ensure that we get it right.”
Executive Director, WACOL, Prof Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, said the 50-50 project was designed to strengthen women’s capacity and equip them with appropriate knowledge and skills to champion their cause at community and state levels.