- It’s a barrier to affirmative Action
The Project Director, Global Fund Impact Project and Family Health International, FHI360, Christiana Laniyan, has said political parties must open up other positions for women to grow politically.
Laniyan said the only position usually reserved for women which is the women leader has become a limitation to women participation and political growth.
Besides, she said, the position had become a barrier to affirmative action.
She said this at a National Conference and Summit of the Stand Up for Women Society in Abuja at the weekend.
The society has presence in 36 states and FCT and 22 African countries of which about six Country Chapters Presidents were in attendance at the national conference.
Speaking on the theme ‘Women: Bridge builders in good governance and societal balance’ Laniyan said structural barriers in political parties should be removed for women to contest other positions in the party.
She said: “The structural barriers that do not allow women to participate in governance should be removed.
“For instance, in political participation, many women are not allowed in the proper structure of a political party. They create a women’s wing, which implies that they are treated differently. Women do not have to be limited.
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“Political parties should not create structures that stereotype them into a role.
“If there are 15 positions to be canvassed for, part of the affirmative action should be that seven of such positions should be given to the women.
The role of women’s leaders should be scrapped.”
The International President, SWS, Deborah Ijadele-Adesona, on her part underscored the importance of empowering the girl child and by extension the women.
Ijadele-Adesona said a country that is desirous to develop must do everything possible to empower the women.
She also said it was time that women were given the opportunity to lead the country politically, stressing that the womenfolk have proved overtime that they are better resource managers.
Also, the co-founder, Stand Up for Women, Olatunbosun Oladimeji, called for the empowerment of women in the society, stressing that this is necessary for the country’s economic growth and development.