By Kadiri Abdulrahman
#TrackNigeria: The Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), an NGO, has advised Nigerian women to participate actively in anti-corruption activities in the country.
Mrs Anisah Ari, Senior Programme Coordinator of the NGO, gave the advice in Abuja on Sunday during an interview.
Ari said that WRAPA had designed a programme that would encourage women to be active in efforts to nip corruption in the bud.
‘‘We have the ‘gender and accountability project’ sponsored by the McArthur Foundation, aimed at raising a critical mass of women speaking against corruption.
‘‘WRAPA is concerned about the ‘gendered impact’ of corruption because women bear the brunt, and they suffer most in any political system that is bedevilled by corruption.
‘‘They are the ones that will take their children to hospitals and face different challenges and frustrations; they might not get the right quality of medical attention as a result of corruption,’’ she said.
She urged women to take interest in the incomes of their spouses and raise concerns when their husbands display inexplicable wealth.
‘‘Aside speaking out against corruption, we also encourage women to ‘act’ against corruption.
‘‘If their husbands come home with huge sums of money that they do not know the sources they should ask questions.
‘‘We are creating a broad awareness about what corruption can do to our generation and to coming generations, if not checked.
‘‘If women start to show concerns even from their homes, it will de-motivate the men from engaging in corrupt activities,’’ she said.
Ari said that her NGO was also intensifying advocacy to get more women to take active part in politics and decision making.
‘‘We are also trying to get more women to participate in politics and decision making.
‘‘Research has shown that women are less corrupt and more compassionate than men.
‘‘A woman who appreciates the pains of having children, raising a family and managing a home with effective and efficient use of funds will take such mindset to public office.
‘‘She will be mindful of her legacy; how it will affect her children and how her conduct in public office will affect the chances of other women,’’ she said.
She added that dysfunctional women at the home front would have negative implications on the larger society.
‘‘If a woman is not functional at home, it destroys the family, and if the family is destroyed the products out there will be terrible.
‘‘Women are aware that whatever they do has a ‘domino’ effect on the society, and goes on to affect several other things, that is why they are usually more level headed and more compassionate,’’ she said. (NAN)
