2023 General Election: Need to Protect Women for Effective Participation Stressed

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi 

As political activities for the 2023 General elections continued to gather momentum, the need for women to be protected and allowed to participate in the political process has been stressed.

The assertion was made by the National Programme Officer, UN Women Peace and Security (WPS), Ms. Olubukola Ademola-Adelehin, while speaking in Bauchi yesterday during the opening of a three-day stakeholders’ workshop on the second phase of the implementation of WPS Project in Bauchi.

Ademola-Adelehin said: “Women have been left far behind in the political process of the country due to some issues that have been introduced into the political process thereby making it difficult for the women to participate actively.

“Because of the fragile nature of women, they cannot engage in the strenuous aspect of the political process, hence the need for violence to be eschewed from the process.”

She also called on stakeholders, who are working on the UN Women, Peace and Security phase 2 programme in Bauchi State, to do everything to strengthen mechanism for effective implementation of the state action plan.

The national programme officer also said that the second phase would concentrate mainly on Kaduna and Plateau States as new entrants in order to catch up with those already in the program.

She added that the already established structures in Bauchi and Benue States would be strengthened to ensure expansion to other local government areas as well as women political inclusion and peaceful 2023 elections.

She said: “What we would be doing specifically is to support the networks that have been established, support technically- financially as much as possible to ensure that they are able to develop activities that they would be implementing.

 “It is also another opportunity to see how the Mediators Network Support, how the  He4She Network are using their various platforms to advocate for more MDAs to devout more budget and to implement the state action plan on women issues.” 

Ademola-Adelehin, however, noted that the three year programme is to be implemented by the Women Mediators Network, State Implementation Committee, He4She Network, Ministry of Women Affairs, relevant MDAs and other department partners.