A FORMER minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure favourable conditions that would encourage more women into politics.
Tallen, who made the appeal in Abuja while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of launch of a book, From Margins to Mainstream: Navigating Gender Inclusiveness in Nigeria, written by Princess Nikky Onyeri, a gender advocate, and politician, decried the low number of women in the political space.
She also called on political parties in the country to make their condition flexible to encouraged more women into politics, saying there are countless number of women that could stand shoulder to shoulder with men when it comes to political issues,given a better conditions.
She also called on women to come out en-masse to vote the right candidates in the forthcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections, adding: “I feel so sad, because the number of women that are giving ticket is not enough; it is just a little percent and this amount to nothing. It is not that the women are not willing to come out, but they are not been given the support.
“We are calling on all our political parties and INEC to provide better conditions to encourage the women for the betterment of the country.”
The former deputy governor of Plateau State commended President Bola Tinubu for carrying along more women in his government, but said more was still needed to realised gender equality.
Tallen also commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who she said is doing a lot to support and encourage women through her pet project, adding that was doing so much in the area of empowerment of the youth and giving scholarship to children.
Speaking on the 200-page book, the former minister said: “The presentation speaks volume, because women are doing so much. It is women that nurture the home and ensure that both the husband and children are in sound health.
“There are lots of responsibilities that lie in the women; they make sure the homes are in the right balance, yet it is never noticed.
“By the time you take a look at this book, you will appreciate women.”
The author, Onyeri, explained that she was inspired to write the book based on the struggle she had seen by women groups in the last 30 years; hence she had since then continued
to support women emancipation.
Onyeri, a breast cancer survivor, recalled she was one of the protesters at the National Assembly in 2023 who called for the passage of five gender Bills, which are yet to be passed, thereby further spurring her to write the book.
“I looked at the past, the present and the future of where our hope lies as women, and where do we want to be? This thinking had brought me to where I am today, and I am glad about that.
“I wrote the book from my own perspective, and I hope it will give people a cause to think about women and embrace them. I also hope the book will promote literacy.
“We are going to be donating books around the country from the funds we will raise from the inauguration of this book, so that more people can know what gender is all about, because many people do not know about it.”
Onyeri added that endowment funds would be created for gender studies in the universities, both of which would be achieved after the book launch.
Another gender advocate and a public speaker, Mrs. Moji Makanjuola, commended the author, who she said had waged war against cancer, and a speaker for person’s with cancer.
She urged women to hold one another’s hand, stop impoverishing themselves and work towards developing themselves.
Father of the Day and Chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, Igwe Simon Ikechukwu Asadu, said the call for gender inclusiveness should not be limited to Nigeria only, but made global.
The monarch commended the author of the book for coming up with such write-ups, calling on the men folks to stop violence against women.
Highlight of the occasion was the conferment of award of excellence on individuals who have distinguished themselves in human endeavours, including Igwe Asau, the Commissioner of Police, Federal capital territory (FCT) Command, Mr. Bernard Igwe, among others.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the occasion was attended by dignitaries from both the private and public sectors.
