‘It gives gov’t legitimacy if women make policies’

Why does it matter to have women in politics? Women are half the population of the world. It gives the government some legitimacy if you have the voices of half your population in policy making. The other thing is that there is a direct correlation between economic progress and political progress and the more economic […]

Why does it matter to have women in politics?

Women are half the population of the world. It gives the government some legitimacy if you have the voices of half your population in policy making. The other thing is that there is a direct correlation between economic progress and political progress and the more economic progress there is in a country the wealthier the country is as a whole.

For a country like Nigeria which has aspirations to take its place not just in Africa but in the whole world, it reflects the true assets that are here both natural assets and talents, with time it will not ignore half the population. The other unique thing about women is that they tend to have different traits that they bring to public office in different countries. Women tend to be the care givers in families. The issues they care about when they are in office tend to be the issues that families care about. These include educating kids, ensuring their safety, that there are good jobs and access to health care.

These are things that at some point were considered women’s issues. It turns out today that they are issues everybody cares about.

What, in your view is the reason women are not actively in politics or on the forefront of government?

Women tend to be the same all over the world. I will break this down into the four Cs: Culture, child care, cash and confidence.  There is not a culture of women participating so things tend to go along as they are until a reorientation changes it. With child care, all over the world, this is an issue that women have to deal with juggling their responsibility of taking care of the family with public work. Accessibility of cash means economic stability that allows them the means to go off to do not just what they want but also to run campaigns. A lot of times men do not lack confidence when it comes to doing these things. Women, even if they are equally qualified wonder if they can do the job.

The girl-child education is still a problem here. Would you say the same solution with which the US handled the issue can be applied here?

May be not specifically, but generally I think they are quite the same. When I visit Nigerian women, I notice there is the need to encourage them to participate. Also, mentoring and training programmes are essential. They can start off at a low level and find ways to gain experience and respect. The men will see that is a benefit for their daughters and granddaughters.

President Goodluck Jonathan I hear is doing a good job of getting women to participate in his cabinet. The question is whether there is an appropriate role behind those cabinets. The women do well, they corporate with men who also see that it is a good for the country. The use of new technology is another way to organise and communicate around issues as we have seen in different parts of the world like with the Arab Uprising. A group that had no guns, no power to do anything was able to turn things around using new technology. This technology exists here. President Jonathan is the number two president in the world when it comes to Facebook friends, after President Obama.

I was here at the last elections as an international observer. I saw the profound use of technology to make a difference, to communicate with election workers. The INEC and the youth corps members were able to communicate with electoral officers in over 2,000 polling stations in every part of this country through text messaging instantly. It’s unbelievable. I can’t do that in the US with my co-workers.

The last thing is about young people and changing the future for them which is what this is really about. Giving girls the opportunity at different levels and letting them know that they can do it.

Access to information is still a problem that women face. How do you think this challenge can be overcome?

People lead busy lives and they are pretty caught up with taking care of their families, but they should be able to find ways to communicate with people where they are. The word of mouth communication is very important. With young people, it’s easier. We need to recognise that the world is changing and we must communicate anyway possible.

You have been involved in voter and electoral processes for a while. How well does voter education translate at election time?

There are two types of voter education – the non-partisan which involves the process of voting. We have tried hard through creating websites and other methods to ensure that the process works efficiently.  Beyond the process side of it, there is the substance – and that is something political parties and candidates have to do. It is not the job of the government.

From your experience at the last election, did you think Nigerian electorate  had gone through any kind of education?

I would say the people seemed to know what the process was even though it was complicated. It was impressive how long people had to wait. I believe the reason they did that was because they thought their votes were going to count. They thought the election was going to be fair and that it would reflect the will of Nigerians. You couldn’t ask for anything better.

The substance part, I can’t make valuable contribution because I wasn’t here for the campaigns.

Do you see Nigeria in the future having more educated women than men?

This is about priorities. If it is a priority for the government and for the Nigerian people who pressure the government to do what they want, then they will because that is what government is about.

It is for Nigerians to think about what will create progress in their society. Nigeria has assets, talented and educated people that are literarily the envy of other countries. But the growth of Nigeria doesn’t always rival those places. You have to look inside yourselves and decide where you want to change it.

How have you been able to strike a balance with career and the home front?

Every woman has to strike a balance somehow which is what we do at home anyway with juggling things every now and again and multitasking. It really is just about priorities and getting things done and not wasting time or being petty but moving on to the next thing that I need to do.

Will you run for office again?

I ran for Senate in 2010 and was beaten, badly. Not this year, maybe in another year.