Kwara Female Politicians Demand Implementation Of 35% Affirmative Action

Female political aspirants in Kwara State and members of a civil society group under the auspices of Women Political Participation (WPP) programme have called for the implementation of the 35 per cent affirmative action for female politicians in elective political and appointive public service positions in Nigeria as contained in the extant National Gender Policy (NGP).

The female aspirants spoke at a one-day workshop on strategic advocacy for increased women participation in politics (SURGE-UP) organised by the Women Environment and Youth Development Initiative (WOYODEV) with support from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and funded by the USAID and UKAID in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The executive director of WOYODEV, Tosin Apiriola-Ajayi, said Nigeria does not have a specific quota system for women in politics in terms of programmes and policies.

Apiriola-Ajayi added that though, women make up a significant portion of the electorate in country, the country’s political landscape has historically been male -dominated.

“For instance, no female governor was elected in the 2023 elections, a pattern that has remained constant since the return to democracy in 1999,” she said.

She said the SURGE-UP project aims to reignite gender-responsive policies and programmes in Kwara State, with the goal of achieving strong gender quota legislation for women in parliamentary and other local elections in the state.