BAOBAB, NDI Inaugurate Group To Drive Women’s Participation In Politics

BAOBAB, in partnership with the National Democratic Institute, NDI, has coordinated key stakeholders that will lead and drive action towards developing a national action plan on women’s political participation in Nigeria.

The executive director, Yeye Bunmi Dipo-Salami, of the BAOBAB initiative, said the specific objectives of the project are to assess and address the barriers to women’s political participation, engender transformative partnerships and collaborations among state and non-state actors, develop a national action plan on women’s political participation and leadership.

She informed that the project aims to improve women’s political participation and leadership at Nigeria’s local, subnational and national levels.

“Our goal is to create a comprehensive policy document that promotes women’s political participation in Nigeria. Despite existing plans, the number of women in politics continues to decline. We aim to develop a concrete policy that fosters meaningful participation and increases the number of women in elected positions.

“Unlike previous plans, our approach will involve a coordination group comprising key stakeholders. We recognise that past plans have been criticised for lacking stakeholder engagement, resulting in a lack of awareness and ownership. By bringing everyone to the table, we ensure that all stakeholders contribute strategically to the process, guiding the development of the policy document.

“This collaborative approach will help address the issue of key stakeholders claiming they were not informed or involved in the process. By working together, we can create a policy document with broad support and more likely to be successfully implemented and advocated for,” she said.

The BAOBAB programme director, Ms Anne Lawal, stated that creating a National Plan for Women’s Political Participation and Leadership is specifically on increasing women’s political participation and leadership, as despite efforts, the number of women in politics continues to decline with each election cycle.

She addressed this: “We’re establishing a coordinating group comprising experts from various fields, including former and current government officials, strategic communication experts, leaders of coalitions and civil society organisations.

“This diverse group will share their experiences, knowledge, and expertise to develop a comprehensive national plan. Our goal is to identify effective strategies to increase women’s representation in government, elections, and leadership positions. By leveraging collective expertise, we aim to create a plan that will yield tangible results, ensuring that by 2027, we’ll see a significant increase in women’s political participation and leadership.”

One of the stakeholders, Mrs Adesuwa Onyenokwe said she is pleased that BAOBAB has taken on a leadership role, recognising that addressing the issue of women’s political participation requires a collective effort beyond individual organisations or persons.