From News Editor
The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Stephen Aribasoye, has called for gender equity and stronger legislation to enhance women’s participation in politics.
Aribasoye decried the low representation of women in Nigerian politics, citing the current 3% and 4% female representation in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, describing it as a major setback to democracy and national socio-economic development.
The Speaker stressed that excluding women from decision-making processes deprives the nation of valuable perspectives and experiences, which are crucial in shaping policies that truly address societal needs.
He stated these on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti at the “HeForShe Conference on Advancing Women’s Political Participation Through Male Allyship”, organized by the Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF) and sponsored by the Government of Canada and United Nations Women.
Delivering a keynote address titled “Accelerate Action, Building Alliances: Men as Allies in Advancing Women’s Political Participation,” Aribasoye urged stakeholders to tackle gender imbalance within their communities, emphasizing that fostering greater acceptance of women in leadership roles would lead to better representation and inclusivity.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Ekiti State Government under Governor Biodun Oyebanji in promoting gender equity, he called for the implementation of concrete strategies to empower more women to take active roles in politics.
However, Aribasoye explained that the state legislature lacks the power to enforce laws regulating political parties on gender parity but assured that the Assembly would continue its oversight functions to promote inclusivity.
His words, “Women have been participating remotely and covertly, even before now. If you continue to ask for equality, it might not work; what you should fight for is equity.
“The gender imbalance started from home, where parents give education to male kids but make female kids to perform house chore. We should focus on economic empowerment, we should place premium at building values.
“When women are excluded from decision-making, we lose the invaluable perspectives, experiences, and insights they bring to the table for drafting policies that truly serve the needs of our communities.
“The HeForShe movement is a powerful reminder that gender equality is not a women’s issue; it is a human rights issue. It is a societal imperative that requires collective responsibility.
“The journey towards gender parity is a collective endeavor. By accelerating action and building robust alliances with men as active participants, we can transform our political landscape into one that truly reflects the diverse tapestry of our society”.
In her address of welcome , the Executive Director of BIGIF, Tumininu Adedeji lamented the underrepresentation of women in politics, governance, and key decision-making roles despite making up nearly 50% of the population.
She thereby called for the implementation of policies to increase women’s leadership representation, promote education and awareness, ensure financial inclusion for women, and strengthen legal frameworks for gender justice.
