A fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Emeritus Professor Obioma Nwaorgu, has said that the only way Nigerians can sufficiently appreciate the contributions of women to national development since independence in 1960 is the election of a woman as president.
Nwaorgu, a professor of Parasitology and Epidemiology of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State, said she had a firm belief that a female president would wipe away tears on the faces of Nigerians, adding, “Leadership yields more dividends when shared.”
Speaking at an event organized by the Enugu State government to mark the 2021 international women’s day in Enugu yesterday, the university Don expressed regret that despite the numerical strength of women, they had been still grossly underrepresented in key leadership positions in the country.
According to her, the result of the 2019 state and national assembly elections showed that there are only three women as against 21 men in the state assembly, while 10 women were elected into the house of representatives with a total 360 members and 6 women into the senate with 109 members and down the line to ministerial positions and governors.
This, she said, had “resulted to unequal power relationship between women and men, social norm decrease, education and paid employment opportunity for women.”
