Ita-Giwa Campaigns for More Women in Governance

Nseobong Okon-Ekong

Former Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa has kicked off a campaign for more women representation in governance, saying only political parties with proportional women representation would secure the votes of women in 2019.

Tagged, “No Woman, No Vote”, Ita-Giwa, the Initiator was surrounded by many women activists and Civil Society Organisations in Lagos to demand for the deputy governorship slots for women, saying the political space must be widened to accommodate more women.

“We want those who have just gotten their nomination as governorship candidates to pick women as their deputies”, Ita-Giwa said at the occasion to mark the International Day of the Girl Child.

According to her, it is high time Nigeria created space for women and the girl-child to secure their future and end the present state of hopelessness of Nigerian women.

She said, “I will be failing in my duty to do whatever I can to create space for Nigerian women and the girl-child.”

Ita-Giwa popularly known as Mama Bakkassi bemoaned the seeming lack of hope for women, saying, “There is hopelessness for the girl-child and it is this hopelessness that is pushing them to go to Italy or Libya and become sex slaves”.

She said the campaign was not about any political party, pointing out that any party that meets the yearning and aspiration of women would be supported during the election.

This is why she called on governorship candidates who have just been nominated to consider women as their deputies, saying there are committed and hard-working women.

“Women are very hard-working. She would not be your deputy and aspire to take over from you. We will encourage women to vote for men who carry women along,” she added.

She promised to work with other women groups and activists to secure a future for the seemingly hopeless girl-child.

“I will be failing in my duty if I fail to do whatever I can either through campaign or through advocacy to make sure that the space is created in Nigeria for women in Nigeria and the girl-child.

“Economically a woman is at disadvantage. Whether you like it or not, politics is a very capital intensive business. No matter how bad the economy is, the men will always go and get jobs and raise enormous income for politics.”

Also speaking, President of African Women Leadership Organization (AWLO), Mrs. Maureen Omeibe reiterated that it was time for women to regain their position in leadership. According to her, “there is retrogression in women’s representation in leadership.”