The United Nations, UN Women Country Representative for Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, has advocated for gender equality in governance, asserting that women should occupy half of the parliamentary seats.
Eyong made these remarks during an interview with Chikas Kumle, the executive director of the Women Development Monitoring Initiative (WDMI), focusing on the theme, ‘Representation: The Urgency of Now’.
She emphasized that women, who make up nearly 50 percent of Nigeria’s population, are entitled to equal representation in governance.
“The rules and regulations of this country should have mandated parity. We should not witness a parliament with less than 5 percent representation. We should not see a private sector with less than 50 percent. We should not have state houses of assembly with less than 50 percent. It should be a 50-50 split,” she stated.
“I hope that as we continue to present these arguments to our leaders, they will come to recognize this necessity.”
Eyong further asserted that equitable participation must go beyond mere numerical representation to encompass women with disabilities, widows, and those from various social backgrounds.
She warned that excluding certain segments of society from governance and development could result in future instability.
“Whenever you engage in politics or development while excluding specific groups, you are intentionally setting the stage for rebellion. Those individuals will seek their resources, spaces, and structures,” she remarked.
Eyong insisted that governance should be anchored in transparency, accountability, the rule of law, and participation, stressing that leadership must prioritize the common good over personal interests.
She linked the erosion of public trust in democracy across Africa to the failure of democratic systems to provide tangible benefits to citizens.
Eyong observed that many Africans, especially the youth and women, have grown disillusioned as democracy has not yielded the anticipated results.
According to her, women’s representation in leadership positions would help address pressing issues affecting citizens and accelerate development.
“If women are sitting at the table, women will make the difference. Women will cause democracy to bring the dividends, to bring the results,” she said.
“The GDP will grow. People’s lives will be improved because I believe women deliver human beings. Women know the pain of having a baby and taking care of a baby until it becomes a man or a woman.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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