INEC Calls For Review Of Gender Policy

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday called for a review of gender policy and total inclusion of women in planning and implementation of electoral processes.
Deputy Director, Gender Division, INEC, Mrs Blessing Obidegwu, made this known at a Seminar on the “Review of INEC Gender Policy by External Stakeholders,’’ held in Lagos.
She said that in many countries all over the world, women continued to be marginalised and underrepresented in the political and electoral processes.
Obidegwu noted that clearly major steps needed to be taken before true gender equality was achieved.
“It is, therefore, important that Election Management Bodies (EMBs) intentionally and proactively take gender into account in the analysis and implementation of all electoral processes.
“As we all know, Nigeria is signatory to several regional, international protocols and conventions on the protection of the rights of women, including guarantees of equality of access, particularly in the area of politics.
“In spite of Nigeria being a signatory to all these instruments, Nigerian women still remain largely marginalised in all spheres of activities including governance”, she said.
Obidegwu said that one of the objectives of INEC Gender Policy was to ensure that the commission’s policies, plans and operations were gender-responsive.
She said the gender policy was also to encourage gender equity and balance within political parties, especially in the identification of candidates in line with the provision of their statutes.
Also speaking, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Lagos State, Mr Sam Olumekun, said the need to address gender issues in the context of democratic governance and pursuit of gender equality had been on the front burner of the commission.
Olumekun said that the establishment of Gender division at INEC national headquarters and Gender desks in all states showed that the commission was striving to ensure the visibility of women in electoral process.