Women Aid Collective (WACOL) Nigeria has called for support of political stakeholders in achieving political positions for the women in the country.
This was as notable politicians from Ebonyi state House of Assembly, state Exco and political parties signed for the He for She programs of the Organization.
The program lead for WACOL in the project advancing women political participation in Nigeria, Mrs Nkechi Igwe, said the program was geared towards securing political position for women especially in the National and state Assembly.
Igwe who disclosed this during a multi-stakeholders roundtable for political stakeholders in Ebonyi state over the weekend, explained that women were agitating for 111 seats in the National Assembly but that the Assembly reduced it to 74 seats.
She said, “The multi-stakeholders roundtable was basically to bring on the table different stakeholders that will help us achieve our aim which is advancing women’s political participation in Nigeria.
“Bringing these stakeholders together is for us to adopt the strategies needed to ensure that come 2027 election that we have a higher increase in the percentage of women in both political and appointive positions.
“We are looking at this from the angle of legislative reform, so we are looking at the gender and equal opportunity bill. If we have support from different states and the GEO bill is passed at the national definitely we will advocate for the state to domesticate it so that we will have increase number of women in politics.
“And as well, we are also looking at gender sensitive men that could sign up as He for She and support us so that when we are going for advocacy to political parties, state House of Assembly, to the Governor of the State. That these men would be our back bone, when we talk of issues about women and have men taking it up, it gives us a positive result, that’s why we are signing up and you can see the number of men that came for this event today.
“it’s quite impressive it tells us that at least we have supportive men in Ebonyi state that could help us push this cause forward and ensure that before 2027 that we have already watered our grounds and see that we have equal backing for women that will be coming up, special seat allocated to them and women feeling very free and not being afraid of the political terrain they would be stepping into.
“Even though that there are a lot of underground works going on behind the scene like most men when you come to political parties brings forth there axes, that is why we are working with political parties to get their support and when we do we will have no problems on the feature.
“Women are seeking for 111 seats in the National Assembly, it has passed it second reading and a total of 74 seat was passed. But we are agitating for 111 seats for women”.
The He to She program was endorsed by the some members of the state House of Assembly, Representative of the state Attorney General amongst others.