The immediate past deputy speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and member representing Esan North East Two Constituency, Mrs Maria Edeko has called for conscious efforts to ensure gender equality in the politics of the country in line with the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Mrs Edeko made the call while speaking with Radio Nigeria on this year’s UN Day of Parlimentarism with the theme: “Achieving Gender Equality, Action by Action”. She said that God did not make a mistake for creating male and female from the beginning of creation, explaining that women would bring balance and speed up development in in governance of the country.
She pointed out that Rwanda had come up with laws to address gender inequality in politics, resulting in good governance in the country.The former deputy speaker said that most of the laws in place in Nigeria were not fair and equitable to women because they were laws made by men.
She recalled from history that women were not allowed in village squares to participate in decision-making because they were confined to the kitchen. The lawmaker stated that the cultural beliefs put women at a disadvantage over their male folks, whereas women were doing well more than their men counterparts in many professions.
She went further to say:”When you look at our local community, women are not in the village squares where decisions are made; children are not there”
“These cultural barriers have infiltrated into the politics of today. A woman is made to be seen and not to be heard. If you go to the party’s structure, the only position you may find there maybe a woman leader. And when they are taking critical decisions, they will not call you”.
“These cultural barriers have been responsible for women not being able to access political power. Women are very intelligent. Go to law school. We have a higher percentage of women coming out with first class. Go to all professions”.
“Women are doing very well at the professional level because that is something you need your intellectual capacity to do, but politics in Nigeria is not like that because of the cultural barriers”.
Mrs Edeko also explained that in the last National Assembly during Constitutional Amendment, 5 gender-sensitive bills were thrown out because they were made to pass through a male dominated world. She said most of the laws in place were not fair and equitable to women because they were laws made by men.
The lawmaker thereafter commended members of the House of Representatives for a gender-based bill being considered there and solicited the support of the Senate and other Houses of Assembly to ensure its smooth passage. International Day of Parliamentarism is observed every June 30.
This year’s campaign is to mobilize the global parliamentary community to accelerate progress in achieving gender equality in politics and society, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU.
