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First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has said no country can achieve development goals without the active and full participation of its female folks.
She spoke in Abuja on Monday while moderating a panel discussion on, “The Transformation Women Want :Galvanising for a Common Agenda”, at the launch of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN).
According to Mrs Fayemi, “If there is any country in the world that is expecting to achieve all the development goals without the full and equal participation of women such a country is trying to clap with one hand and it is not going to be possible . She said the key to addressing the social, economic and so on challenges, that women mostly face, is the empowerment of women and girls.
“We now have lower women in governance about four per cent in national assembly whereas in Rwanda and other countries women participation is increasing.
“What kind of future are we going to have if women do not have a voice in the country? So I hope that AWLN will help in engaging in advocacies for the implementation of laws and other things to benefit the Nigerian woman,’’ she said.
Mrs Aisha Dukku, a member of House of Representative from Gombe state said that men always listen to women and urged them to grab that opportunity and build on it. Dukku also called on women to go back home and build structures, while urging them not depend on structures that have been built by men.
“Go to the political parties and be part of it all, where they are bringing their executives from wards from units be there and bring your own ward and units executives,” she said. Dukku advised women to connect with their people from the grassroots because if there is no connectivity between them they won’t go far. She called for legislations that would give women advantages governance and political sphere adding that a percentage for women participation in politics would make a difference.
Dr Joy Onyesoh, National Coordinator, Women Situation Room, Nigeria said that women needed to be clear on what they wanted and to demand for it.
Onyesoh said that there is also need for women to groom each of other across generations creating a synergy of mentorship to help women get better equipped for leadership.
“This will help to have a culture like a relay passing the baton from one generation to another,’’ she said
Prof. Joy Ezeilo , Dean of Law, University of Nigeria, Nsukka said that it has been 100 years since Nigeria came into existence and 100 years down the line women’s participation is still low. Ezeilo said that a country like Nigeria with federal character should get to where gender would matter and where gender would be an indices for that federal character.
“We cannot have a Nigeria where women don’t matter because women matters, all we are saying is to reinforce our demand in a very clear manner that no women no nation,’’ she said.