The inclusion of women and Persons Living With Disabilities in governance in 2023 took the centre stage in Abuja on Wednesday as presidential candidates of some political parties tabled their agenda before a coalition of civil society organisations and international partners.
Presidential candidates present at the event include that of Labour Party, Peter Obi; the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and the Accord Party, Prof. Christopher Imumolen..
They made the pledges while signing the Governance Agenda for an Inclusive Nigeria document.
The event also coincided with the public presentation of the GAIN document.
The PUNCH reported that the GAIN document, a collection of recommendations from the three marginalized groups, was obtained through key informant interviews with 2,055 persons across the 36 states and the FCT.
The event was put together by the YouthHub Africa, Inclusive Friends Association and Women in Politics Forum, with the support of the National Democratic Institute and the United States Agency for International Development.
Obi who said there was no inclusiveness without women, youths, and persons with disabilities, added that more women were needed in government, as they were the most productive part of the society.
He also emphasized the need to insist on affirmative action for women, and ensure that the agenda was documented and signed into law.
Obi said, “We can’t talk about the development of any society without being inclusive of the three, call it sectors. We cannot talk about development without women; we cannot talk about development without youths. We can’t talk about it, without persons with disability.
“For me in particular, women are the most productive parts of society. We need to get them more and more involved. But for a society like Nigeria, we need to insist on affirmative action. I don’t think we can discuss until people agree to do it. We need to make sure it is documented, signed into law, and everybody will follow through with it.”
Kwankwaso, represented by his running mate, Isaac Idahosa, told journalists that the NNPP had a “total package” plan for women in its government.
He said, “Anyone who undermined women in government did so at his own peril. We have a whole lot, a total package for women. But affirmative action is determined by how many women have already been involved. We are going to use what we have to improve the involvement of women in our government and in our governance.
“You see, women have been relegated to the background until now. And we are now coming with a new Nigerian purposeful leadership, that is concerned to bringing inclusivity to our government. And anyone that undermines women, is to his own peril.”
The Program Director of NDI, Bem Aga, said the implementation and demand for accountability from the candidates who had signed the agenda, was up to the public, adding that women, youth and PWDs groups had the numbers.
He said, “Women, youth, persons with disabilities, and internally displaced persons alone, constitute about 70 per cent of people in the just concluded Continuous Voter Registration exercise. Numbers have power in constitutional democracy. If the promises are not kept, every four years, the elections hold. So it will be up to the people again, to look at candidates who kept the promises, and candidates who did not keep their promises, and decide what to do”.
Aga added that the document would be sent to all candidates of the 2023 elections to sign across the national, state, and Local Government levels, with the hope that they would implement the recommendations when they get into government.
The President of WiPF, Ebere Ifendu, said that the document represented what women, youth and PWD groups, wanted from government.
She said that anyone who undermined the groups, was not interested in winning the 2023 elections.
“In elections, you see that 50.82 per cent of women actually registered to vote, which shows that Nigerian women, this time, will determine who will win election. The youth are about 60 per cent, persons with disabilities, make up about 25 million.
“So, for three groups like that to come together, it shows that we are a very strong and formidable group. So, anyone that undermines us really will show the person is not ready to win an election in 2023.”
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