2019: NGO mobilises Kaduna women to participate in electoral process, governance
By Aisha Gambo
Kaduna, March 29, 2018(NAN) The League of Democratic Women (LEADS Nigeria), on Thursday organised a two-day campaign to mobilise women in Kaduna State to take active part in the country’s political process.
Mrs Rebecca John, the Executive Director of LEADS said that the event was also to encourage them to participate and support their fellow women in politics.
According to her, women from three constituencies in Kaduna state namely; Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Kaduna Central attended the workshop.
She added that women were yet to achieve the desired progress in terms of participation in electoral process and governance.
“Women are yet to achieve the desired progress, there is need to continue to strive and ensure that women are well represented at the helm of affairs of governance”, she said.
She also called on women to keep their hopes alive as women mentors had started springing up to support women that intended to go into politics.
Mrs Martha Kude, one of the facilitators said gender stereotyping was one of the major problems hindering women from engaging in politics.
Kude said that women as mothers and wives should persuade their husbands to allow them go into politics by exhibiting good behaviours.
Earlier, Aisha Ahmad, a former councilor for Muciya ward, Sabongari Local Government Area urged women to aspire and contest for public positions, adding that there was no seat too big for a woman.
“There is no seat that is too big for a woman to aspire for, we want to see more women aspiring for political seats come 2019″, Ahmad stated.
Mrs Ladi Bonat another facilitator advised the women on the need to show solidarity to their fellow women not minding the political parties they belong.
“ Women’s population out numbers that of men as such we need to support ourselves, let’s show solidarity to aspiring women, keeping aside our political differences”, Bonat stressed.
Mrs Ruth Iyah, also a facilitator stated that barriers stopping women from politics could be eliminated through advocacy, lobbying and sensitisation.
“We can break these barriers by lobbying for political positions and advocacy through our religious and traditional leaders’’, she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was an initiative of Strengthening Citizen’s Engagement in Electoral Processes (SCEEP) project, supported by Actionaid Nigeria. (NAN)
AMG/GOM/MZA
Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Maharazu Ahmed
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