Group Moves To Promote Women’s Participation In Politics

Worried about poor participation of Niger Delta women in political leadership at the national, state and local levels, a non-governmental organisation, the Centre For Environment Human Rights And Development (CEHRD) has created a platform to facilitate mobilisation of community women for political participation.
The platform known as Women In Governance Network, (WIGN) was inaugurated recently in the 3 senatorial districts of Bayelsa State during town hall meetings organised by the Centre with support from the Embassy of The Netherlands in Nigeria.
The town hall meetings were attended by women from different communities, who were convinced that there is need for women to get involved in decision making at all levels.
David Vareba, who co-facilitated the town hall meetings with Queen Agba and Marsha Nwanne on behalf of CEHRD told to The Tide that the platform was necessitated by the need for a common space where women who have interest in political leadership could converge to harvest ideas.
He noted that the platform would help foster unity among women to enable them compete effectively with their male counterpart as far as politics was concerned.
He said that membership of the network cuts across all political formations, adding that they share the same objectives and goals of emerging as part of political decision makers in their localities.
Also at the townhall meeting held in Swali, near Yenagoa, Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, the participants commended CEHRD and the Dutch Embassy for the initiative, saying it is a welcome development.
They said in their communities, there are women who are interested in participating in politics, but do not have any idea how to begin.
The society, according to the women, is structured in such a way that governance, even at the community level, has become an exclusive right for the men folk.
“We therefore find this platform as a good opportunity for us to come together and form a formidable front to make impacts in politics”.
They expressed concern over marginalisation of women in politics, saying that it will no longer be condoned.
The women promised to use the platform to advance the campaign for the promotion of women participation in politics by encouraging women to boldly venture into politics. Members of the platform resolved to be having regular meetings to keep updating themselves on governance issues.