Findings have confirmed that Kwara State has emerged as having the highest number of female lawmakers in the State House of Assembly.
This fact emerged at a Consultative Session organized by the International Press Center (IPC), in conjunction with the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). It was held today, May 27, in Abuja. The Session was sponsored by the European Union (EU).
It was discovered that Kwara has six female lawmakers in the Assembly, with Kogi State having two, one of who is the Deputy Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly.
The Session, co-chaired by the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade and President of GOCOP, Ms Maureen Chigbo, also discovered that there is no single woman legislator in both Imo and Osun States.
The Session resolved to address the unequal political positions in the polity by mounting campaigns, enlightenment, capacity building and to stage battle against all human and natural forces inhibiting women participation in the nation’s electoral processes and activities.
In a keynote lecture, Ms. Anikea Funke-Treasure of Iluminate Nigeria described social media, represented by GOCOP as a game changer in the move to change negative narrative about women participation in politics in Nigeria.
She called on the online newspaper publisher to engineer positive change by using their platforms to bring invisible women in politics to limelight, identify the ones that are afraid to come out to express themselves and making them visible.
“GOCOP members should highlight women policy voices and counter negative narrative about them.”
