March 10, (THEWILL) – The International Press Council, Lagos has called for a more inclusive and representative democracy in Nigeria.
The council made the call in a statement to mark this year’s International Women’s Day signed by Olutoyin Ayoade, Communications Officer, IPC.
The Council in the statement titled: “International Women’s Day: Nigeria must urgently accelerate the inclusion of women at decision-making levels”, said it aligns with the global community in advocating for increased female political representation at both national and sub-national levels within Nigeria.
The statement quotes Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of the IPC as emphasising the importance of acknowledging the significant perspectives and contributions that women offer to governance in Nigerian society.
He noted that empowering women in politics not only promotes fairness and equality but also enhances the overall effectiveness and legitimacy of governmental institutions.
“Through concerted efforts to address these disparities, by dismantling barriers and fostering inclusivity in political arenas, Nigeria can pave the way for a more inclusive and representative democracy that truly reflects the voices and needs of all its citizens”, he stressed.
Reflecting on the United Nations theme for this year, “Invest in women—accelerate progress,” IPC emphasises the importance of empowering and investing in women by promoting their active participation in political leadership and decision-making roles.
The Council also noted the concerning trend persisted during the 2023 elections in the country, resulting in adverse implications for women’s representation and impact within the government.
Notably, the proportion of women in Nigeria’s National Assembly decreased by 19% compared to the previous assembly. Presently, women hold only 3% of Senate seats and 4% of seats in the House of Representatives.
To mitigate the high attrition rates of women in elections, Mr Arogundade emphasised the importance of key stakeholders advocating for gender-equitable policies, initiating voter education campaigns on gender equality, and addressing feminised poverty through economic equality initiatives.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
