Some Enugu women groups have called for greater inclusion and equal opportunities for women in politics to promote gender balance and strengthen women’s voices in governance.
The groups made the call in separate messages to mark the International Women’s Day, celebrated globally on March 8 to recognise women’s resilience, achievements and challenges.
The women urged governments and society to create more opportunities for women to participate in leadership and decision-making processes.
They also expressed concern that Nigeria and Enugu State were yet to achieve the 35 percent affirmative action recommended by the United Nations for women’s participation in governance.
The groups emphasised that women remained vital to societal growth and called for stronger collaboration to advance gender equality and political participation.
Speaking, the Executive Director of New Life Community Care Initiative (NELCCI), Florence Ifeanyi-Aneke, said women must remain committed to advocating for equity and justice.
She urged women to speak out against gender-based violence and discrimination, stressing that support structures exist to assist victims.
“We want women to remain formidable in fighting for equity. Women must speak out whenever they are abused because they are not alone; there are organisations ready to support them,” she said.
Ifeanyi-Aneke noted that women remain under-represented in political offices.
She cited the Enugu State House of Assembly, where only two out of 24 members are women, as an example of the gender imbalance in governance.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Heroine Women Foundation, Onyinye Mamah, said women continue to make enormous sacrifices in families and communities without equal recognition or opportunities.
She lamented increasing cases of domestic violence and the perception that women are less capable of holding public leadership roles.
Mamah noted that despite decades of advocacy since the Fourth World Conference on Women, the 35 percent affirmative action had not been fully implemented.
She also pointed out that since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, no woman has been elected senator from Enugu State.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the Women Information Network (WINET), Miriam Menkiti, praised the resilience of Nigerian women despite economic hardship, insecurity and gender-based violence.
She urged women to unite and build a stronger movement to demand inclusion in governance.
Menkiti encouraged women to contest political offices, demand accountability and support female candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Equity Watch Initiative, Chimezie Atama, commended the resilience of women in Enugu State.
She stressed the need to operationalise the 35 percent affirmative action and urged women to invest in self-development and self-care.
“When women grow, families gain. When women thrive, the state gains and when women lead, the world gains,” she said.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
