Mrs Olaide Oyerinde, the Director of Training, Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS), has called on the Federal Government to implement 35 per cent for women in Nigerian legislative and executive positions.
Oyerinde made the appeal on Thursday in Ilorin while delivering a paper at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) monthly meeting.
Her paper was entitled: “Strategies for Increasing Women Participation in Politics and Good Governance”.
She lamented the low participation of women in politics, adding that achieving gender equality is currently rather low.
Oyerinde explained that research has shown that in 2019 to date, about 96.9 per cent of men were dominating the Nigeria House of Representatives, while only 3.1 per cent of women were elected to the House.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all political parties should be involved in the campaign to disseminate information on the rights of women to vote and be voted for,” she said.
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According to her, the importance of women’s political participation is further enforced by a resolution from the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSEC), which recommended a target for at least 30 per cent of women in leadership positions.
She posited that the 30 per cent defined as a critical mass was first endorsed by ECOSOC in 1990 and reaffirmed during the Beijing platform for action in 1995.
Oyerinde also submitted that nearly all the world’s women face major challenges in securing political participation at national levels.
“Women’s lack of access to education and to economic and political engagement is often deeply rooted in and hampered by cultural, religious or traditional norms and values,” she said.
The don emphasised that the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights established in 1977 reaffirmed not only its general commitment to the promotion of gender equality and women’s right, but also highlighted the promotion of women’s political participation.
She, therefore, appealed for budgetary allocation and funding of policy on gender, while also calling for accountability and transparency. (NAN)
