2011: First Lady Wants Political Empowerment Of Women

Nigeria’s First Lady Mrs. Patience Goodluck Jonathan has charged wives of governors of the 36 states to step up actions towards the political empowerment of women in 2011 as well as join the crusade against kidnapping and hostage taking in the country.

Mrs. Jonathan stated this over the weekend during the flag off of Women for Change Initiative in Abuja.

She said women were agent of change and possess the propensity to develop the economic well being of the people.

Mrs. Jonathan said the success of the women’s quest for political emancipation and actualisation of the 35 percent affirmative action on elective and appointive positions in various states, depends on the ability of the governors wives to mobilise the support of their husbands towards these goals.

According to her, “the success of this effort depends on the wives of the governors to ensure that more women get nominated and elected in 2011 election through the instrumentality of their husbands”.

Nigerian First Lady who condemned the high rate of kidnapping cases in the country charged the women to intensify efforts in stamping out the menace adding that the kidnappers are born of mothers.

Minister for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Josephine Anenih said the women have opportunity now than ever to have more representative in governance.

In her contribution, wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi who went biblical said the women’s effort will receive a boost through the support of God and stating that women agitation for 35 percent affirmative action which goes beyond religious inclination and tribe has brought unity among the Nigerian women.

She charged Nigerian women to explore the new found love and unite among them to take their pride of place in the national gender agenda.

She expressed the willingness of the governors’ wives to help in actualising the 35 per cent affirmative action.