GADA Holds Media Roundtable on Special Seat Bill for Women, Call for sustained Collaboration

A pro women advocacy group, Gender and Development Action, GADA, has called for a multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure that women are given their pride of place in governance.

This was echoed at a media roundtable in Calabar, organised to drum support for the Special Seats Bill for Women, which is already before the National Assembly.

According to the Lead Facilitator, Dr MacFarlane Ejah, Nigeria ranks among the lowest countries in Africa with less women in governance and occupies the bottom position of less than 4% in terms of Legislative representation by women.

Data also shows that Rwanda is top on the scale with a total percentage of 61%. South Africa in the second position, has an average of 45.5 while Senegal with 41.8% Parliament positions for women, is 3rd in the ranking.

“Rwanda is leading globally with 60 plus percent. Nigeria is ranking 181 position with only 4% and the number of women there, we are not even sure that they will increase”, he added

Dr Ejah further explained that, women unlike men, do not have the same leverage to compete favorably with their male counterparts, and that such reserved seats would enhance women’s full participation, not only in terms of political mobilization but to also contribute in governance as representatives.

The 35% affirmative action for women according to him, is not enforceable and therefore the Special Seats Bill with the backing of law, would change the narrative.

He therefore charged the media to beef up advocacy for the Bill as GADA is poised to continuously engage stakeholders to achieve success.

During the press briefing, Program Manager of GADA, Nnenna Ugbor, while emphasizing the critical role of women, disclosed that the advocacy is centered around three core objectives viz: getting women to occupied political positions, in governance and into key positions of decision-making.

She further emphasized the critical role of media in advocacy, calling for sustained publicity centered on the Bill. In her words;

“media is a very serious and a strong component in this whole idea. How do we sustain the momentum? That is why we brought the media together so as to continue to carry out the message, to ensure that women’s voices are heard at every level whether politically, decision-making or in governance.

The roundtable which brought together participants from the electronic, print ans new media, featured interactive session, In-depth data analysis on the subject matter and practical groups presentation on the different aspects of media reporting and strategies.

Mark Eneng, reporting from Calabar