Include More Women In Your Cabinet, NCWS To Adeleke

The National Council of Women Societies, (NCWS) Osun State chapter, has asked Governor Ademola Adeleke to give room for 35 per cent women representation in his administration.

NCWS said this on Wednesday through its Osun chapter President, Dr Adeola Ayoola at a world press conference held in Osogbo.

Dr Ayoola, who also introduced the “Women In Good Governance Project” an initiative of the NCWS for women in all walks of life added that everyone will be added and key stakeholders identified to drive the project and ensure its successful implementation.

She further explained that Osun NCWS will embark on advocacy to encourage women’s active participation in governance and politics.

She, however, emphasised that the new project under NCWS is non-partisan, non-political and non-governmental.

"It is expected to improve governance in Osun State and not a move against the State Government.”

She applauded Governor Adeleke for approving the appointment of seven women into the offices of Permanent Secretaries in the state's civil service adding that they were expecting more.

“There are more than twenty-nine ministries and we were given seven ministries making it twenty-four per cent."

"We want not ordinary women but women that we can relate to and access her office anytime,” she told Governor Adeleke.

In her own address, Citizen Lola Lewy said they were demanding diversity, equality, equity and inclusion

"These are the four things we are asking for everywhere.

She demanded that Governor Adeleke should appoint women as Commissioners for the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Budget and Planning, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and more women as Special Advisers.

She also called for the creation of a Ministry for Special Needs to take care of people living with disabilities.

A top-ranking member of the council in the state, Mulikat Adekunle queried having a man as Director of the Ministry of Women Affairs.

“Someone who doesn’t know the nutrition to recommend for a Pregnant Woman. Someone who doesn’t know the time to be pregnant and give birth. Someone who doesn’t know how to train the child of a mad woman.

“But as a mother, you cannot see a madwoman outside, if a madwoman cannot live with us the child of a madwoman will be useful.

“We are not saying we want to be competing with men, what we are trying to insinuate is that men and women have different angles with which they think.

“Joining both together will make things go as they ought to. Women must be included in everything the government wants to do."