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PROF. Joy Ezeilo, the Founder of Women of Aid Collective (WACOL), an NGO has frowned at the dismal participation of women in politics in this dispensation, saying they have continued to be disenfranchised.
Ezeilo, a professor of law, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, while responding to why women are not well represented in party politics in the country.
“Nigerian women are very far from where the power is. Women have been disenfranchised in the past, and of course continue to be disenfranchised.
“Women in Nigeria appear to be more spectators as far as politics and running or seeking for political posts is concerned.
“If you look at the candidates that have emerged across parties, especially major parties, you will see that the number of women is insignificant than in 2015.’’
Ezeilo lamented that all the efforts to get issues of affirmative action entrenched in the constitution or to get gender equal opportunities bill passed that would have enhanced women’s chances at running and winning election failed.
“in Nigeria, to get gender equal opportunities bill passed that would have enhanced woman’s chances at running and winning election.”
Ezeilo said that the country had never seen this type of retrogression in women’s political fortune and a decline in their political entrepreneurship.
“And since 2015, it has declined and people are pointedly not too happy with APC for this declining women’s fortune because you expect the ruling party to be the one that will set an example and have significant number of women,’’ she said.
Ezeilo said in the world today, gender indices had been very important in measuring how developed a country is.
“And there is no way we can make claims to sustainable development without full participation of women in governance and indeed in all sectors including economy.’’
According to her, because of the mercantile politics that is practiced in Nigeria, the political terrain is not enabling, the monetisation is huge and most women cannot afford that.
“And of course, we know they are interrelated, sometimes women economic status also affects their political careers,’’ she said.
The law professor also attributed political violence and the current insecurity that pervade the entire country to contributing to women lagging behind in terms of being aspirants and this time was not as large as it was in 2019.
“And then, now the results from the primaries have shown poor performance for women and we are really worried. I have done this work for two decades and I am saying when are we going to get it right?
“We have done it in other countries and we have seen how they succeeded.
“In Rwanda, I was part of the movement for affirmative action and getting it into their constitution and more women are participating in politic in that country. ‘’
The don also called for reform of electoral law and constitutional reform that would entrench the issue of affirmative action.
“So that INEC will be able to have a legal basis for enforcement or insisting that parties comply with a quota system and quota system is not new to us.’’
NAN reports that Ezeilo (OON), is the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children from 2008 to 2014.
She is a versatile legal scholar and civil society activist recognised as a leading authority in the field of international human rights, especially on the rights of women and children in Africa.
She pioneered the teaching of women, children and the law in 1997, including developing a curriculum for the teaching of human rights, health law and reproductive rights in Nigerian universities and sexual harassment policy for educational institutions and workplaces. (NAN)
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