The Vice President, Students’ Union Government (SUG), Peaceland College of Education, Enugu, Miss Ethel Akubueze has called for deliberate efforts to get more women involved in policy making and political leadership.
Akubueze made the call during the maiden edition of a programme called ‘Paradigm Shift’, an initiative of the college’s SUG.
Ikengaonline reports that ‘Paradigm Shift’ is a reform progranme organised for female students of the institution.
The programme is aimed at educating women on the intricacies of policy making for national development.
Meanwhile, Akubueze, said that the disadvantaged position of women in policy making had made it necessary for the inclusion of average percentage of women in national development.
She said that the series of events which revolved around low percentage of women in leadership and national development were alarming.
The SUG vice president said that leadership in Nigeria, in particular, seemed to have contrived to a male province as influenced by culture and tradition.
“This event is the maiden edition of this educative programme where key stakeholders converge to find ways to optimise women needs and potentials in the society.
“We call for multiple recommendations to empower women for national growth and sustainable development,” she said.
Akubueze said that she was optimistic that the programme would be a turning point for a global paradigm shift.
“In our world today, especially, in the developing countries, women are under represented virtually in all areas of human endeavours.
“They are, instead, assigned roles that are secondary to men,” Akubueze said.
Earlier, the Special Assistant to Enugu State Governor on Culture and Tourism, Mr Monday Diamond, said that women needed support to achieve their potentials.
Diamond said that the few women that had found themselves in strategic policy making positions had always made the difference.
He stressed the need for capacity building for women to develop their capacities with a view to contributing positively to nation development.
He urged the female students of the institution to live up to expectation and work hard in order to have a brighter future.
Diamond appealed to the female students to always discharge their civic responsibilities in order to make meaningful contributions in the society.
“You do not have the right to criticise the government when you do not have voters’ card to exercise your franchise,” Diamond said.
