‘Why women should be part of policy-making’

Stakeholders have advocated the implementation of gender-inclusive policy-making to address the challenges facing women in the country. They spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book, ‘Politics, X and Power’, authored by Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, Executive Director, Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI). Sydney-Jack said the government should show the political will […]

Stakeholders have advocated the implementation of gender-inclusive policy-making to address the challenges facing women in the country.

They spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book, ‘Politics, X and Power’, authored by Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, Executive Director, Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI).

Sydney-Jack said the government should show the political will to get women involved in policy-making and its implementation.

She said: “Government should show the political will not just in theory/semantics of getting more women involved in political offices alone, but in policy-making, because if women are part of policy-making and its implementation, direct outcomes of more women in governance will be seen

“For me, it is a role of the political will by the state actors and it is so important now as we go into 2027 because talk is cheap, and political parties need to reinvent the wheel by having women in leadership positions outside women leaders.”

Amina Arong, national women leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said after 25 years of joining politics, nothing had changed in terms of women participation.

She said: “I got into politics at 25. 25 years later, I realised that nothing has changed in terms of women participation. Our political space is shrinking for women. So we’re asking for gender sensitive men to give us a chance on the table so that we can begin to talk about our own issues.”

Monalisa Chinda, Founder of the Arise Monalisa Foundation, said it was high time people began to look the way of women in terms of inclusion.

“In terms of having women being included at the hands of affairs, I think it’s about time, people begin to look our way. Even some of the Western world that we copy, why don’t we copy the inclusion of women?,” Chinda said.

Earlier in his keynote address, Abubakar Sulaiman, Director-General, National Institute For Legislative And Democratic Studies (NILDS), while recommending ‘Politics, X and Power’, said it would be useful for academics, researchers, students and policy makers among others.