Group Seeks More Women Involvement In Local Govt Administration

Women in Kwara State have been urged to get more involved in governance at the local government level in order to strengthen grassroots accountability and transparency.

Members of a women advocacy group made the call while addressing newsmen in Ilorin, the state capital yesterday.

They noted said that weak participation, limited transparency and minimal accountability had widened the gap between local authorities and the people.

The executive director of The Wura Hope Women Initiative, Yusuf Rasheed, who lamented continued troubling disconnection between the governed and the government in many communities, said local governments often feel distant, underperforming, or underutilised, leaving communities underserved and citizens unheard.

“Local governments are designed to be the closest tier of government. They shape the daily experiences of women and children farmers and traders, elderly citizens and young people. Yet in many communities, we continue to see a troubling disconnection. Local governments often feel distant, underperforming, or underutilised, leaving communities underserved

and citizens unheard”, he said.

The people, who said that two programmes, tagged, Strengthening Women Participation in Local Governance (SWiLG) and the Women Accountability Network (WAN) were established in response to the challenge, added that the projects were designed to amplify women’s voices and strengthen grassroots accountability where it matters most.