Stakeholders Seek More Women In Policy-making

Stakeholders have advocated for the implementation of gender-inclusive policymaking to address the challenges facing women in the country.
They made the call yesterday in Abuja during the public presentation of a book titled ‘Politics, X and Power’, authored by Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, Executive Director of Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI).
Sydney-Jack stated that the government should demonstrate the political will to involve women in policymaking and its implementation.
She said, “The government should not only show political will in theory or semantics of getting more women involved in political offices but also in policymaking because if women are part of policymaking and its implementation, we will directly see the outcomes of having more women in governance.”
“For me, it is a matter of political will by state actors, and it is very important now as we approach 2027. Talk is cheap, and political parties need to reinvent the wheel by placing women in leadership positions beyond the role of women leaders.”
Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Abubakar Sulaiman in his keynote address, while recommending ‘Politics, X and Power,’ said it would be useful for academics, researchers, students, and policymakers, among others.
Also speaking, the national women’s leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amina Arong, noted that after 25 years in politics, nothing has changed in terms of women’s participation.
She stated, “I got into politics at 25. Twenty-five years later, I realized that nothing has changed in terms of women’s participation. Our political space is shrinking for women.
“So, we are asking gender-sensitive men to give us a chance at the table so that we can begin to address our issues.”
Monalisa Chinda, Founder of the Arise Monalisa Foundation, emphasized the importance of women’s inclusion in decision-making processes.
“It’s about time people began to consider women for inclusion at the helm of affairs. Even in some Western countries that we emulate, why don’t we adopt their approach to including women?” she asked.