Women Participation In Government Is An Advantage To Any Nation

"A woman can be at the Centre without being empowered, a woman can be liberated without being either centred or empowered.... The strategy of redemption needs to go beyond liberation and beyond centring towards genuine power-sharing between the two halves of the world, male and female ...’’ (Mazrui, 1991) professor Ali Mazrui in his 1991 Guardian Lecture titled, 'The Black women and the problem of gender: Trials, Triumphs and Challenges.’’ Main article after the cut...

On February 13 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan launched the Public Works Women and Youth Empowerment Programme, an intervention programme designed to employ 370,000 youths in the year 2012 with 30% of those jobs being reserved for women.

President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet has shown that more women representation in government than his 13 predecessors, both military and civilian or any other administration in Nigeria.

Jonathan’s initial cabinet of 40 ministers and one cleared ministerial nominees, 13 were women, a major milestone in women’s campaign for more involvement in governance. This used to be the list:

• Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Minister of finance)
• Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (Petroleum Resources),
•  Prof Ruqayyatu Rufai (Education), now out of office
•  Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi (Aviation) now out of office
•  Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafa (Environment), now out of office
•  Mrs. Omobola Johnson Olubusola,   (Communication Technology)
•  Ms. Ama Pepple (Lands and Housing) now out of office
•  Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe (Water Resources),
•  Hajiya Zainab Maina (Women Affairs and Social Development)
• Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi (Minister of State, Niger Delta Affairs), now out of office
•  Prof. Viola Onwuliri (Minister of State Foreign Affairs),
• Erelu Olusola Obada (Minister of State, Defence)
• Ms. Olajumoke Akinjide (Minister of State for FCT)

This empowers the female folk and reiterates the fact that firstly, leadership traits are not genetically acquired and have nothing to do with gender. Women can effectively participate in policy making and governance, if given the chance. They can hold their own in very difficult and stressful situations and can do as well, if not better, than men.

Secondly, men admire and respect women who wield power whether it be economic or political. This fact dismantles the confusing and misleading notion that successful women are abhorred and constitute a threat to the society and especially to their husbands and associates.

The subsequent creation of the National Commission for Women and a ministerial portfolio for Women Affairs provides additional avenues for the promotion of women-related issues and the enhancement of the role of women in national development by way of a statutory body and a Ministry.

Having in mind the denial of some female aspirants for governorship especially in the Muslim dominated regions of Nigeria; this brings us to these questions:

• Can all these translate into permanent structures that will guarantee the desired equitable society in terms of gender relations?
• Can they be used as yardsticks for measuring the latent calibre of the future Nigerian woman and her placement within the national scheme?

In answering these questions, let us have in mind that the downfall of Oduah does not mean women have failed but just creates more room for women to participate and showcase their abilities to deliver?

         

Barr. Ada J. Ojika

(DIL., LLB., B.L, ADR., NIM)