By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
The Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, on Tuesday, said while Nigerian women were clamouring for 35% affirmative action, Governor el-Rufai has 46 per cent of appointive positions occupied by women, and these women are the ones driving change in Kaduna State.
Dr. Hadiza Balarabe expressed this at a celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) and Economic Empowerment Programme organised by the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) Kaduna State chapter, held in Kaduna.
According to her, this year’s celebration of International Women’s Day with the theme, “Gender Equity today for a sustainable tomorrow” is in line with empowerment programmes and commendable.
She said, March indeed is the women month.
“Whatever we do, we should not lose focus on why we celebrate women’s day, we are not to look at our challenges, but struggles to see what we have achieved and see where we are.
“A lot has happened, so many women have struggled, we are to reflect on what we can do better. Women take some of the rights we have for granted. Gone are the days but now is the time to bring more women into politics, so that we can vote and be voted for,” she said.
She reminded the women that they are their sisters’ keepers, adding that when a woman stands for election, the women don’t vote for her.
She therefore, urged them to always have this ideal in their heads, “one for all, and all for one.
“We need to do better in enlightening our women so that we understand where we are coming from and where we want to be, this will require concerted efforts and every hands must be on deck.
“We should be reminded that we have women who have capacity in terms of education. We are competent, we have women who have first class degrees, I believe that there’s nothing that a woman cannot do,” she submitted.
She appreciated the NCWS for commending the state governor for making the largest appointments of women into public offices in Nigeria.
Dr. Hadiza Balarabe was of the opinion that women should seek for positions with men because they also have abilities and can perform as much as men can.
She regretted that women are in the habit of running each other down when it comes to politics.
At the event, the NCWS distributed items to some women to empower them.
