How Nigeria’s 35% affirmative action could shape the next Obama or Clinton

• Ene Obi decries mediocre pistillate representation, revealing that women clasp lone 4.7% of Senate seats and calling Nigeria’s National Assembly a “male parliament"
• Despite ineligible wins similar the 2022 tribunal ruling connected 35% affirmative action, the Federal Government has failed to instrumentality sex parity successful appointments
• Obi urges urgent action, saying women’s exclusion from authorities weakens ideology and nationalist development, and that inclusion is simply a right, not charity

By Segun Adeyemi

The profound power of mothers—particularly azygous mothers—on enactment is simply a taxable that has echoed done the lives of galore planetary icons. From Barack Obama and Bill Clinton to Oprah Winfrey, the strength, resilience, and nurturing power of the women who raised them is undeniable. In Nigeria, this aforesaid unit exists, but continues to beryllium sidelined successful the country’s governmental sphere.

Former Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Mrs Ene Obi, speaking successful an exclusive interrogation with Legit.ng, has spotlighted the stark underrepresentation of Nigerian women successful nationalist bureau and reignited the telephone for 35% affirmative enactment successful governance—a committedness made, ruled upon, yet unfulfilled.

Why Nigeria's 35% Affirmative Action Can Forge More Leaders Like Obama and Clinton
Source: Twitter

‘A Male Parliament’: The Stark Imbalance of Representation

“The voices of implicit fractional the colonisation are efficaciously silenced. What we person successful Nigeria close present is simply a antheral parliament," Mrs Obi laments.

Her figures are revealing: successful Nigeria’s 360-member House of Representatives, lone 14 to 16 seats are held by women. In the Senate, retired of 109 seats, a specified 3 oregon 4 are occupied by women, conscionable 4.7% of representation. Even committees connected “women affairs” are predominantly chaired and populated by men. State assemblies fare nary better; immoderate person nary women astatine all.

The implications of this imbalance are far-reaching.

“What voices of women’s issues spell into decision-making is simply a large root of concern,” she warns.

Legal Wins, Political Silence

Nigeria ratified the Beijing Platform for Action successful 1995, committing to sex parity done affirmative action. After the 2019 elections saw women’s practice autumn further, civilian nine groups similar the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) took ineligible action.

A landmark April 2022 judgement ordered the Federal Government to instrumentality 35% affirmative enactment successful appointments. Yet, Mrs Obi decries the inaction: “They are not implementing.”

She continues,

“We are not asking you to bash anybody a favour. We are asking for the diverseness successful practice that enriches your decisions.”

‘Lip Service’ and the Absence of Political Will

Despite Nigerian women’s successes crossed professions, their lack successful decision-making is glaring.

“There are millions of women excelling arsenic lawyers, engineers, societal scientists. But they are invisible successful this country,” Mrs Obi says.

Patriarchy, religion, and civilization are often blamed for the dilatory gait of change, but she insists, “Political volition is precise major. Leadership absorption is key.”

She turns to motherhood to marque a compelling argument.

“Many of america were raised by azygous mothers. If a pistillate tin nurture beingness from conception and support it with her precise body, volition she not beryllium a amended manager, a amended determination maker?” She shares.

Her telephone to enactment is urgent and emotional. Referencing the precocious maternal and babe mortality rates, she asks:

“Who volition advocator for the pistillate if she’s absent from the table?”

A Deafening Silence connected Democracy Day

As Nigeria commemorated 26 years of democracy, President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day code was met with disappointment by sex advocates, who noted the lack of immoderate notation of the 35% affirmative action.

Mrs Obi called connected the President and the National Assembly to walk the long-delayed “inclusivity bill,” which includes peculiar parliamentary seats for women. “When they spell retired of the country, it’s conscionable a bloody shame,” she said, referring to Nigeria’s mediocre planetary representation connected sex representation.

She besides condemned the drawstring of breached promises by erstwhile presidents. From Olusegun Obasanjo’s 40% pledge to Muhammadu Buhari’s akin vow, she labelled the signifier arsenic a “deliberate effort to support women down.”

‘We Are All Writing Our History’

For Mrs Obi, this question is astir bequest and justice.

“We are not doing immoderate favour to Nigeria. We are each penning our history,” she declares.

“It should beryllium 50-50,” pushing beyond the minimum 35% benchmark.

“Who are these women we’re talking about? They are your children; they are your daughters, your granddaughters, your mothers, your aunties, your cousins.”

Her connection is clear: empowering Nigerian women is not conscionable a substance of fairness—it is simply a nationalist imperative. Inclusion is not charity; it is the lone way to governance that reflects the afloat breadth of the Nigerian experience.

If Nigeria is to genuinely code its challenges—be they conflict, poverty, oregon underdevelopment—it indispensable put successful the imaginable of its women, conscionable arsenic countless mothers person invested successful the occurrence of their children.

After all, arsenic Mrs Obi passionately reminds us:

“If you support a woman, you are protecting humanity.”

Nigerian women inactive chasing 35% affirmative action

Legit.ng had earlier reported that the off-cycle polls successful Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states missed an accidental to nutrient women with enactment roles.

This signifier echoes the discouraging trends observed successful the erstwhile wide predetermination and the creation of President Bola Tinubu's cabinet.

The Nigeria Women Trust Fund (NWTF) is urging the authorities to actively prioritise and clasp the inclusion of women successful cardinal decision-making positions.

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Source: Legit.ng