Women Foundation for Improved Living Standard, a gender rights group, on Friday urged women in Anambra to be more involved in politics and governance ahead of the November 2021 governorship polls in the state.
Prof. Theresa Anigbogu, Founder of the group, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka that such involvement would allow women to contribute their quota to the socio-political and economic development of the state.
Anigbogu said that women were major stakeholders and should be encouraged to be more proactive in issues relating to governance and politics.
“Data revealed that women remain heavily outnumbered in both the legislative and executive arms of government considering their population in the state.
“An example is the forthcoming governorship poll in November 2021, only one woman has indicated interest to contest out of over 15 aspirants.
“This is not a good signal to the growth of democracy and good governance in the state.
”We need to inspire more women to consider careers in politics and work toward balancing the participation of women and men in politics in the state,” she said.
Anigbogu said that her organisation had started a grassroots sensitisation programme across the communities to help improve women’s path to leadership roles.
”We have adopted a storytelling approach on the need to be politically involved.
“The aim is to educate, mobilise and equip women, especially those at the grassroots, with the tools and techniques to get elected and to inform them of the benefits of becoming more politically active.
”As women, we have what it takes to make a difference in politics and governance.
“We need to continue to remind our women that if they are not in, they can not get elected or change the narratives.
”We need to work with women across the state and mobilise them for the 2021 gubernatorial election.
“This is our top-priority,” she added.(NAN)
