Ondo 2024: Women Groups Hold Town Hall Meeting to Boost Participation in Politics
Ahead of the November 16 Governorship Election in Ondo State, some groups have engaged women on the need to show more interest in politics in order to be well represented.
The town hall meeting organised by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, in collaboration with Women Voice, and Leadership Project WVL of ACTION AID Nigeria funded by Global Affairs, Canada alongside league of women voters NILOWV, and women in politics forum WIPF in Akure, Ondo State capital.
The who delebrates on the theme “Engaging Grassroots Women for Robust Political Participation used the opportunity to voice out their challenges in the political political terrain.
The National President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Comrade Aisha Ibrahim represented by the Vice Chairperson, North Central Zone, Mrs Chizoba Ogbeche said Nigeria was signatories to many chatters that protected the rights of women but lamented how it had had been relegated.
Comrade Ibrahim who canvassed leadership roles for women in governance and other social fora said gone were the days when women only play the roles of mere house wives and back benchers.
She pledged that NAWOJ would continue to work towards building the capacity of women through enlightenment and advocacy.
The representative of Nigeria League of women Voters ,Mrs Omotomilewa Olamousi charged women to register and vote during elections.
Mrs Olamousi informed that although the political stage was very volatile, women should not be intimidated as they could get involved at the grassroots and gradually grow to the top.
In her submission, a former commissioner for women affairs in Ondo state and coordinator women in politics, Dr Yemi Mahmood encouraged women to take up politics as a career especially with the advent of female political academy that teaches them the basics of politics.
Also speaking ,The Vice President B Zone NAWOJ, Comrade Adeola Adekunle acknowledged that if women, especially those with first hand knowledge of community needs, were actively involved in politics, more government policies would be women friendly.
Two of the participants, Mrs Evelyn Pius and Mrs Toun Aribisala Lamented the difficulty of women to compete with the men folks in the political arena due to financial constraints.
On his part, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Prince Leke Adegbite sought for more empowerments for female Journalists in the state through training ahead of the governorship election coming up on the 16th November, 2024.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ in Ondo state, Comrade Tola Gbadamosi expressed Happiness over the town hall meeting saying it had built capacity of women to understand their roles in political participation for adequate representation.
Participatnts included members of Women Civil Societies, NGOs, FOMWAN, Female Transporters, Gender-based organizations, Market women, Artisans among others
