Minister Tasks Women On Visibility, Relevance In Politics

The Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen has called on women politicians to be visible and relevant in their local communities to enable people recognise their capabilities.

Tallen said this is to enable people affirm their worthiness during the campaign for electoral positions of leadership as it is a process.

Tallen made the call on Monday in Abuja while delivering a  keynote address at the Political Women Leaders Summit on Improving electoral integrity and accountability in Nigeria.

The event was organised by the 100 Women Lobby Group, with the theme: ‘’Women Working Together for a Democratic Nigeria’’.

Tallen also called on more women to join politics, register as voters during elections, identify with political parties and be relevant in their communities, saying these are the rudiments in politics that most women shy away from.

‘’You cannot wake up suddenly and say you want to occupy a position through politics

"Politics is everyday life. Power is about service to the people, identify with people, feel their needs and help out the best way you can.

"Make yourself relevant and visible so people can know you are capable of leading them,’’ she said.

The Minister reiterated her disappointment at the National Assembly on rejection of five gender bills thrown out in the month of March, saying that it was a deliberate action to stop women’s growth.

 ’I thought I was strong but I was broken that day.

"We supported these young men to get to the positions but when they got there they forgot about us.

"I want to encourage all women to not be angry or discouraged, they should pray for men because they don’t know what they are doing.

‘’The men are only hurting their mothers, daughters, wives and sisters and this will affect them in the future,’’ she said.

Similarly, Former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih, stressed the need for women to be assertive so that they can earn respect and not be undermined by people, adding that women need to have a very strong voice in a subtle way to get what they want.

‘’You must come down to the level of the people in your locality, speak their dialect, bond with them and don’t be restricted by the Women Leader position.

"Reject the nomenclature called women’s wing, rather be a woman who is a leader in your party.

"Change the narrative and perception, make yourself visible quietly but seriously, be creative and proactive and make demands on the leadership because if we don’t have more women on decision tables Nigeria cannot go forward,’’ she stressed.

The Convener and National Coordinator of the 100 Women Lobby Group Felicia Onibon, said the summit was organised to give all Women Leaders from the 18 political parties the opportunity to synergise, share experiences and to show the new political parties the pathway to plan for Nigerian women to move towards the next election.

Onibon regretted that patriarchy is still playing out in Nigeria politics, stressing that by now the narrative should have change yet during conventions all positions are grabbed by men when capable women are available.

"Women Leaders therefore should make interest of the generality of women a center stage to enable women develop in Nigeria.

"The women should move issues of women to the fur and make men understand issues of women," she stressed.

In her remarks, the National President, Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), Ebere Ifendu, noted that women must make themselves relevant because nobody will do so, urging them to create small spaces to build on it and rise to the top.

She lauded the summit, saying it became necessary to mentor the women leaders of political parties to step down knowledge to women at all levels on the need to vote for women candidates in the upcoming general elections.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) Mufuliat Fijabi, urged women to keep up the struggle whether they win or not, noting that there are more elections ahead and women will eventually win positions of leadership.