Ugo Nosiri, Owerri
Center for Gender Equity and Sustainable Development, CGESD, has called for an end to discrimination against women.
The centre while harping on the need to investigate the Akpabio/ Akpoti-Uduaghan saga also called for “an end to the silencing of women and issues about women in all our lawmaking chambers as well as other public decision making tables.”
Executive Director of the Centre, Constance Meju, made these demands amongst others, as the centre joined other women across the globe to mark this year’s International Women’s Day.
She spoke against the suspension of one of the four women in the hallowed chamber, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, for six months, for speaking up against alleged attempts by Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate president, to gag her, and harass her sexually.
The Executive Director said “the centre also demands recognition of women as equal citizens guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution with equal contributions to Nigeria’s development and gender inclusion in all spheres of governance.”
She noted that although women constitute a major population of the country’s population and represent a significant voter population, they are more disrespected and disregarded by the very ones they obediently and regularly cast their votes for.
Meju decried the abysmal dropping of women representation in the two chambers of the National Assembly from seven per cent to barely four per cent against the West African record of 12 per cent, despite the Nigeria Gender Policy pegging representation at all public leadership tables at 30 per cent.
She maintained that “the drop is a systematic exclusion, a warning to women in office wherever they are, to be silent, subservient and mindful of the fact that they really do not matter and so, should swallow abuses or be shipped out or shoved aside.”
She noted that the political exclusion of women from the Nigerian political decision making table is a form of violence which the Senate has just made manifest with its hammer on Akpoti-Uduaghan while regretting that some women leaders who have been displaying support for gender equity over the years, are joining forces with those pulling the women down.
“It is even more discomforting to learn that Mrs Remi Tinubu, wife of the president, supposed mother of all, who herself, served as a senator for many years, came out to chastise Akpoti for crying out, not minding that the gender struggle in the last three years has been on amplifying the voices of women and teaching them to understand that they have a right to say No.
“Her statement is unfortunate and speaks against women’s interest and advancement.”
Meju, therefore, called on women “to bring out and spread their wrapper to create synergy for real empowerment and emancipation noting that until a greater number of women acquire the economic and political power to say no to inequality and discrimination, Nigeria will continue to head for the pit.”
