INEC commissioner tasks women on improving participation in governance

National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, has tasked women on improving their engagement and participation in the political process ahead of the 2019 elections. Agbamuche-Mbu, gave the advice in Abuja during a workshop on Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) prisms: perspectives series to promote transformative gender equality and Women’s advancement in Nigeria. The theme of the workshop is “Changing the Narrative of women’s leadership good governance”. Agbamuche-Mbu, who is also head of Legal Services, INEC, said although women work twice as hard as men, adding that women need to change the way and manner they advocate for what they want. “It takes a lot of courage to go into politics as women, there is need to have laws that suit us. In Kenya and Rwanda, there are good percentage of women in governance in which Nigeria should emulate,” Agbamuche-Mbu said. Also speaking, a board member of a non-profit organisation, Strong Enough Girls Empowerment Initiative, Mrs Abiodun Essiet said one of the factors impeding women in leadership was the pro-archial culture in the political system. “Some of the position in governance and platforms does not favour women’s growth in politics, leadership and development. “Another impediment of women in leadership is the capacity of women in decision making platform, women should be ready are to task up the task on how to handle issues in leadership” she said. Another speaker, a UN CEDAW Committee member, Mrs Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia, said women lacked awareness on some of their rights. Eghobamien-Mshelia said many women had suffered direct and indirect discrimination in one way or the other. She said the workshop was organised to identify and address some of the challenges women undergo in leadership positions. Eghobamien-Mshelia said CEDAW was one of the core international human rights treaties of the UN and it requires states, parties to undertake legal obligations to respect, protect and fulfil women’s rights. CEDAW is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. Described as an international bill of rights for women, it was instituted on Sept. 3, 1981 and has been ratified by 189 states.