Affirmative Action: Committee Focuses On Political Gatekeepers

The Rivers State branch of the National Affirmative Action Committee on Domestication of 35% Affirmative Action on Women in Politics, says it will focus on identifying individuals and groups of political gatekeepers in the state between July and December 2012.

Coordinator of the State branch of the committee, Ms Sylvia Briggs disclosed this on Tuesday in Port Harcourt shortly after the inauguration of the committee.

According to Ms Briggs, the focus on individuals and groups of political gatekeepers is necessitated by the need to lay a solid foundation in the state to enhance the achievement of the 35% Affirmative Action “to enable women participate favourably among their male counterparts in the political arena of the state in future elections”.

Briggs explained that such gatekeepers include political leaders and legislators adding that, the first lady of the state, Dame Judith Amaechi will also be involved as mother to women in the states, to mobilize the women towards the attainment of the objective of the Committee.

She noted that the focus on political gatekeepers is part of a three point terms of reference for the Committee, via: Advocacy for the domestication of Affirmative Action in the State,hold meetings to identify political gatekeepers and develop strategies for advocacy in the state.

It also include influencing identified political gatekeepers to adopt special measures, quotas and mechanism for achieving minimum critical number of women in political offices, party organs and public life by pursuing 35% Affirmative Action in favour of women in order to bridge the gaps in political representative in both elective and appointive position at all levels of governance by 2015 in Nigeria.

On the availability of qualified women to fill positions to be warranted by the implementation of the 35% Affirmative Action for women, Briggs explained that “there are even more qualified women than the 35%. The problem is that because of the political terrain in Nigeria, most of them had lost interest after being marginalized as a result of their sex.

“That is why we want to first of all focus on targeting political leaders and parties to provide a quota at all levels of politics for only women to contest.

“After then, we will build the capacity of women on political involvement and participation”, she said.

On sustainability of the programme, the Co-ordinator said the committee is being sponsored by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) in collaboration with the Centre for Human development.

Other members of the Committee are, Barrister Sarah Emmanuel-Appiah, Mrs Sogbeba Dokubo, Ahumanyah Maxwell and Mrs Buloala West.

Sogbeba Dokubo