The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Thursday lent its voice to the clamour for more female representation in governance.
Dr. Dumebi Owa, National Chairman, Committee on Gender Mainstreaming for the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) speaking at a programme in Lagos to mark International Women’s Day called for increased female representation in politics.
Women from various fields converged at the programme organized by an NGO, The STAGE for Women Development in Magodo to mark the day.
Owa called on all tiers of government in Nigeria to increase slots for women in politics to ensure real development, adding that, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that countries led by women fared better.
“The NMA is collaborating with STAGE for Women Development on better health, economic indices and all indices that would improve our wellbeing,’’ she said.
She listed female leaders in various countries performing amazingly well, more than their male counterparts and called for deliberate policies that would ensure gender equality in the nation’s polity.
“And we now have Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that is now threading where no African weather man or woman has ever been to, that tells you that Nigerian women can be good leaders.
“We are not putting our men down, we need them but what we are saying is give more room to women.
“In this population we have more women than men but it is sad that the number of women in governance is coming down. It was much more in 1999 than it is now in 2021 and it is sad, “ she said.
Owa called for a change in strategy to increase opportunity for women, adding that, the easiest way to lead any nation out of poverty was through women.
She appealed for collaboration of well to do Nigerians with The STAGE for Women Development in its ongoing empowerment efforts by joining their initiative to adopt and empower at least a woman each.
Dr. Angela Daniel, President, The STAGE for Women Development, said that women were better managers and should be entrusted with more political offices for the nation’s rapid industrialization.
READ ALSO: Singer Teni Visits Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo In Aso Rock
She stressed the need to raise “more political godmothers’’ to reduce the challenges created by several years of male dominance in governance.
Daniel said opportunity for more women in politics would remove stereotypes, discrimination and challenges affecting women and boost the confidence of other females to join political parties.
This, she noted would make the desired impact for nation building.
She said that male dominance in the nation’s polity had led to things being done wrongly with a rising trend of political thuggery, which could only be corrected by women.
“The presence of women in political office both elected and appointed, can increase the political system’s legitimacy, and thus, public confidence in the system,’’ she said.
She said the NGO had begun a sustained awareness campaign to change the orientation of women at the grassroots to support women in politics to rise above gimmicks of selfish politicians.
She also enumerated other programmes aimed at sensitizing as well as empowering women at the grassroots to prepare them for political office. (NAN)
