CROSS RIVER, CALABAR – In Nigeria, women Underrepresention in many spheres, including politics and leadership has again been brought to the front burner when the ADVANCE Women’s Political Participation (ADVANCE WPP) held capacity training for Media professionals in Cross River State.
The Project aligned and responds to the Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls Action Area of the Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.
Madam Ugbor, a program manager of AWPP, represented by Charity Abang, said that despite female population accounting for 49.3 percent of the total population, women remain underrepresented in many spheres, including politics and leadership.
In Calabar, the Cross River State capital, she called for multiple partnerships to address the persistent gender gaps and to be in line with the country’s national and international commitments.
“To increase women’s participation in politics and public life in Nigeria, UN Women, with funding from the Government of Canada has prioritized women’s participation in politics and public life in Nigeria,” Ugbor said.
Also, at the capacity training for Media professionals in Calabar, an invited guest and Executive Director, Coordinator Women2Women Plus International Dr Victoria Emah-Emah, emphasized on women capabilities in terms of achievements and decision making.
Dr Emah-Emah, who works with neighborhood Care foundation, and chairperson for women political participation in Cross River State Nigeria, had a different view.
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“Not just about being a woman but anybody who does things well and have success story deserve an opportunity to serve in the higher capacity,” she stated.
“Women have been faithful in bearing, and empowering and modeling the children.”
“The first ever role model and caregiver is a woman,” Emah-Emah told Truth Live News in confident that by women’s nature it means they can do things right.
She said for her, Women neither make mistake in feeding their children with poison instead of food nor given them serpent in place of fish.
According to her, “If a woman is this meticulous and she is able to take this dynamic decision to raise human beings; it means there is something about women in terms of achievements and decision making.”
“Such leadership capability requires women getting a bigger office to be able to express these same skills and capabilities,” Emah-Emah argued.
However, after the training Dr. Emah-Emah said in an interview that Women could emerge from the kitchen to the board room and take decision that can change the entire bad system of Nigeria to a better one.
She also observed that being withdrawn by the reason of environment, cultural norms, values and patriarchal tendencies and other biases and limitations make a woman not to be able to step out to be who she is.
She said this herself, “If you give a woman the sky and provides her with the wings, she can fly to any length that any Eagle could fly.”
Therefore, the former Bank staff called on women to take on leadership positions, be on the decision making table, discussing serious matters and proffers solutions that could positively affect the next generation.
Meanwhile, the program facilitator and Cross River State Newspaper Corporation’s Editor in Chief, Highlighted key provisions and article in the Nigeria 1999 constitution which emphatically stress on the right of women to vote and be voted for.
During her presentation, she affirmed the facts that Gender awareness can be promoted through the following ways: Education and Training, Media Representation and Advocacy, Community Engagement and Outreach, Policy Development and Implementation, Personal Reflection and Self Awareness.
In what could be called Transactional model of communication, the training was interactive with participants asking questions and giving answers to the issues of underrepresention of women in politics and Public life as well as group work.