BREAKING NEWS, Politics
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STELLA Oduah, senator representing Anambra-North Senatorial District, has appealed for speedy action to bring about gender parity in Nigeria. Speaking on this year’s International Women’s Day with the theme: #PledgeForParity, on Tuesday, March 8, Oduah said: “For us to have a planet 50-50 by 2030, we must join the campaign with other nations of the world to enhance gender parity.
“One of the important reasons why women in Nigeria have not received adequate benefits from years of planning and development is their inadequate representation, non-participation and non-involvement in the preparation and execution of plans for their economic development and social justice through decentralised institutions.”
The senator said with less than seven percent representation in both chambers of the National Assembly, Nigerian women would have very limited access to decision-making process. Besides, she said the women had been further hampered by lack of access to and control over financial resources, which invariably effectively reduced their chance of contesting elections.
Hence, she said: “This is a time to take action, our voices must be heard, our chants must be loud and planet 50-50 by 2030 will be a reality in Nigeria.
“Women in Nigeria are faced with challenges where political parties do not even maintain data on their women membership and few women are granted tickets for elections but with the Bill I intend sponsoring in the Nigerian Senate on independent candidature, political restrictions on women will cease.
“We may be financially challenged but we have agriculture. With the Agricultural Revolution I am championing and the #BackToFarm project which has already commenced in my constituency, women will be financially independent by the time the revolution hits all parts of the nation.”
Oduah appealed to Nigerian women not to be discourage and continue to forge ahead and God would assist them in their various ventures.
— Mar 8, 2016 @ 17:10 GMT
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