A Non Governemntal Organization, Alliances for Africa has condemned the statement credited to a lawmaker, Mohammed Kazaure Gudaji who spoke against giving women more opportunities to women to participate in political leadership.
Gudaji who represents Kazaure/ Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi Federal constituency of Jigawa State in his statement on the floor of the house of Representatives to commemorate the World Womens Day had said women already have enormous power over men, of which giving them more will condemn the men to the back seat.
But in a reaction on Monday, AfA, an NGO that promotes women’s participation in leadership and governance, said demanded for a public apology to Nigerian women from the Lawmaker.
He also stated that women already have enough opportunities including cooking, taking care of their children and husbands and remaining under the control of men.
The lawmaker further claimed that women would mess up if given the opportunity to participate in political leadership.
“Alliances for Africa has observed with concern the statement made by Hon. Mohammed Kazaure Gudaji, a member of the House of Representatives on the floor of the House on March 8, 2018 (International Women’s Day)wherein he publicly stated that women should not be given too much opportunity to participate in political leadership”.
“We reject and condemn this position unequivocally”, AfA in a statement on Wednesday said
The NGO said the statement by Gudaji contradicts Nigeria’s obligation under international human rights instruments already adopted by Nigeria including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which Nigeria ratified 1985.
“It is highly condemnable that a respected political figure in Nigeriawould openly oppose the instituted measures by the Nigerian government to increase women’s participation in governance”.
AfA said the lawmaker’s statement also violates the Beijing Platform of Action adopted by the country.
“More importantly it is an affront to our obligation under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on People’s Rights, The Protocol to the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and the affirmative action of 35% representation of women in political and non-elective positions by the 2006 National Gender Policy”.
“AfA hereby condemns the stereotypical position of Hon. Mohammed Gudaji, conveyed by his speech at the House of Representatives which will only perpetuate the low representation of Nigerian women in political leadership”.
“We state that Hon. Mohammed Kazaure Gudaji’s speech is a total disrespect for the instituted measures already adopted by the Nigeriagovernment to foster women’s participation in leadership and decision making”.
“We thus, demand that Hon. Gudaji publicly apologize to Nigerian women for saying that they are incapable of taking up leadership and decision-making roles in Nigeria”, the group said.
The NGO further said that Mr Gudaji’s statement appears to question the wisdom of Nigeria’s government in ratifying international instruments that support women’s participation in governance.
“We encourage all political figures to as a matter of urgency adopt measures that will bring into fruition the full implementation of 35% Affirmative Action and other legal instruments that support women’s participation in governance/leadership”.