By Reporters

Some political stakeholders in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States have advocated for increased representation of women in leadership and political roles to enable them contribute their quota to the development and growth of the country.

They said gender bias, segregation and political imbalances should be removed to allow women to occupy key political positions and more seats be reserved for them at the state and national assemblies.

Besides, the stakeholders viewed women’s participation in politics as a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality and genuine democracy as well as facilitating women’s direct engagement in public decision-making and a means of ensuring better accountability to women.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osun, Mrs Ada Uchegwu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said African women were among the most capable leaders in the world, but structural bias in the political system was holding them back.

Uchegwu said a female politician needed a vibrant political party’s platform to actively support her candidacy and not just to be paraded for political reasons.

According to her, the country deserves fresh ideas, especially from women, by granting them opportunities to serve in key political posts.

Also, Mr Wale Oladapo, the convener of Concern Nigerians for National Development, said the present political structure in the country needed a complete overhaul to enable women to participate actively in politics.

He said that civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations must intensify the call for female candidacy in politics.

In the same vein, Prof. Olugbemiga Afolabi, Head, Political Science Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said women should actively participate in politics because they constituted a larger segment of the population and had impacted much growth and development in every sector of the economy.

According to him, women’s participation in politics will guarantee credible elections, foster social progress by promoting education, agriculture, social amenities, and the overall well-being of the voters.

Similarly in Ondo, Mrs Kemisola Adesanya, the state Women Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said women with interest in politics and nation building were being threatened by men, hence, the need for a special provision in the constitutions of the country and all political parties.

According to Adesanya, men will always come between women and even hinder them to support fellow women in politics.

Also speaking, Mrs Temilola Odetola the Ondo State Coordinator of the Civil Society Organisations Strategy Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said that it was time for the decision makers in the country to ensure that more political seats are reserved for women, especially at the legislative levels.

Odetola described women as good resource managers, and having considerable women at the helms of affairs in the country would bring to fore the desired positive transformation of the nation.

Also, a former Special Adviser on Gender to the Ondo State Governor, Mrs Olamide Falana, said the process of women inclusion in politics should be monitored well and not placed in hands of individuals (governors).

She also said women must emerge through their active roles in their respective political party to prevent the slots being given to their cronies by political leaders.

In the view of Mrs Funke Kumuyi, Chairman, Ikale West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), women took the largest percentage during electioneering, but fewer percentage of them benefitted from political offices.

She opined that the lower percentage of women in political offices had killed the moral of women to participate in politics.

While Mrs Roseline Akinnagbe, APC Ward Women Leader in Okitipupa, said most women left their responsibilities at home to participate in politics, however, after the elections, men always got better political offices while women got “political crumbs as their rewards.”

Speaking in the same vein, Chief Christiana Ebisemiju, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Women Leader in Okitipupa Local Government Area, said the dominance of men in politics had totally eroded the activeness of women in politics.

She said that men always proved to be better than women in politics with the highest percentage as beneficiaries in political offices after many women had laboured in the sun and rain for victory of the party.

In Ekiti, a community leader and women mobiliser, Mrs Olufunke Ajayi, said women had continually been witnessing low representation at both states and national legislative houses, while the highest position ever attained at the state level was the deputy governor.

She expressed sadness that with regards to appointments, only a few women were considered, except in few states like Ekiti, where an appreciable number of women occupied respectable positions of trust.

A community leader, Chief Victoria Ogunrinde, said Nigerian women had made some appreciable impact in their contributions to the development of Nigeria nation.

“The challenges of Nigerian women to contribute effectively to national development has been hindered by the domineering tendencies of men.

“Unfortunately, women are seen to belong to the home, because they are incapable of making sound decisions, and are not allowed to express themselves in public or for political activities.

A retired school teacher, Mrs Morenikeji Aina, described women as a formidable productive force and a store of incredible human resources, required for national development.

She said women’s contributions cannot be underestimated in household and national economies, saying the current role of women in national development is remarkable, towards peace and direction of the economy and society.

According to her, there should be encouragement of formation by the government at all levels of more women in agriculture and business cooperatives because it will encourage social network activities among women.

The Technical Advisor to Ekiti State Governor on Sports Development, Dr Olusola Osetoba, called on governments at all levels to emulate Ekiti, by giving priority to women inclusion in political offices and positions.

She noted that women in appointive and elective offices, always gave their best to ensure the objectives of the positions were carried out. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ayodeji Alabi/Tayo Ikujuni