By
Shekara Anthony
Women groups in Adamawa State have decried low women participation in the just concluded 2023 general election across the country.
The women group under the name womanifesto made this known at a news conference and symposium led by the Executive Director, Centre for women non violence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria, Mrs. Asmau Benzies Leo, in Yola.
The Executive Director, Centre for women Non violence and Gender Advocacy in Nigeria, Mrs. Asmau Benzies Leo, said after the 2023 general election, the number of women elected at the national and state levels to represent the people was low and worrisome.
She said out of the 1,459 legislative seats at the state and national levels, only 75 women won, pointing out that in the next tenth National Assembly, the number of women senator has reduced from the present eight to three while the House of Representatives got an increase from from thirteen to seventeen, adding that currently there are fifteen House of Assemblies in the country that do not have a single woman legislator.
Mrs. Asmau Benzies Leo, explained that despite constituting about forty four percent of the voters population in Nigeria, women are still being marginalized by the male politicians, admitting that though Nigeria has made significant progress in terms of women participation in politics, a lot still need to be done encourage women in political participation.
While answering questions from journalists, the member representing Demsa constituency in the Adamawa state House of Assembly, Kate Mamuno, pointed out that social, economic, educational, religious and cultural factors among others are some of the factors working against women participation in politics, adding that the women groups will forward some bills to the incoming tenth National Assembly to allow more women to be accommodated in the political space.
One of the women participants at the symposium, Professor Anna Malgwi, said women have been stereotyped with all sorts of derogatory names by the male politicians and even the society generally and this according to her has dampen the morale of the women folks especially thos who are in politics or those who intend to join politics.
Former commissioners of Environment, Mrs. Arziki Sawa, Halima Hayatu, Ministry of women Affairs, permanent secretary ministry of women Affairs, Saso Benson all in Adamawa State, as well as a Deputy Director News, Bauchi State Television, Fibi Kafi, Bilhatu magaji, Gombe State Ministry of women Affairs among other participants spoke on the challenges confronting women in politics.
There were fifty women participants representing various women groups.
