From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Nigerian Feminist Forum, (NFF) has lamented the none inclusion of women in governance, adding that Nigerian women have experienced the worst socioeconomic and political outcome in the last ten years.
A member of the steering committee, Geraldine Ezeakile at a press conference held in Abuja to mark its Malaika 3rd Blennial,themed ” Rebuilding the Nigerian Feminist Forum through Shared Vision and Solidarity, said only inclusive governance can revive Nigeria.
She explained that Nigerian women contribute unpaid trillions of naira every year but major economic control, power and key roles still rest with men.
” Nigerian women have experienced the worst socioeconomic and political outcomes in the last ten years due to increased insecurity, violence, poor economic status, and lack of access to decision making position.
We are concerned about the high rate of insecurity in the country, which has severely impacted women’s lives on all fronts. Many live in perpetual fear and anxiety of attacks from criminal elements in the country. Women sources of livelihood have been crippled as they are unable to go to farms or embark on business journeys. Parents have continued to withdraw their girls from schools in some parts of the country due to violent clashes, kidnapping and insurgency.
While women make up 49.7 percent of Nigeria’s population, contributing unpaid labour in trillions of naira every year, major economic control, power and key roles still rest with men. The population of women in the National Assembly remains a paltry 5.4 percent, one of the lowest in Africa. This means that Nigerian women subsidies the state but are not considered capable of leading the country.
Dorathy Akenara, a one time presidential aspirant under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) called on the government to create a fair ground where women can compete politically with their male counterparts.
She added that NFF is a policy forum of Nigerian women who publicly self define themselves as feminists and are recognized to “walk the talk” in the fundamentalist and extremely vulnerable contexts.
” We believe that it is possible for Nigerian women to live in a society where those affected by domestic, sexual or inline violence are confident to report the cases to law enforcement agencies and are fully supported to do so.”
