Ensuring Women Are Elected: GAT To Develop Advocacy Plan

0
453
Dr. Lydia Umar
A non governmental organisation, Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) is making frantic efforts to make available an advocacy plan that would provide the framework for ensuring women do not only actively participate in politics, but contest and win elections.
This was echoed by various women who were interviewed at a two-day workshop with the theme: ‘Building Women For Action In Leadership and Governance Positions in Kaduna State’ ongoing at the BBS Diamond Suites, Barnawa, Kaduna.Executive Director (GAT) Dr. Lydia Umar said that the workshop is an offshoot of the outcome of the 2015 General Elections, that saw to the emergence of only men as representatives at the Kaduna House of Assembly.
“We are not happy that in the Kaduma House of Assembly there is no single woman,” she said.
Dr. Umar said that the workshop was timely because it was coming ahead of the local government elections in Kaduna State, which is expected to be held in June.
“We are trying to build the capacity of women. We will teach them what will position them and give them a chance to emerge winners at the elections.
Also responding to questions, Ngukwase Surma said that though some women have been appointed into positions by governors and the president, they would be more comfortable to see women in more elective positions.
” Yes there are appointments given to women, we would prefer they are actually elected because that gives them a guaranteed four years tenure unlike appointments that can be terminated anytime,” she pointed out.
Surma added that since most votes cast during elections come from women, they would use that to their advantage by getting women to support female candidates at elections.
For Barrister Rebecce Sako who presented  a lecture titled: ‘Role of women in Democratic Setting’ political leaders should make concerted efforts in carrying everyone along, with special considerations for the women and youth, who she said form the bulk of the population, to prevent sabotage.
Barrister Rebecca Sako

“We still have a long way to go in terms of appointing women. In the federal level and some states, it is 10 per cent, some are as low as between one to five per cent,” she lamented.
She said that women should be given a chance to contribute their ideas on how they want to be governed.
Activities held on day one include group work and presentations.
Some participants at theworkshop

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here