By Kelvin Obambon
A non-governmental organization, Gender and Development Action (GADA), has held an elaborate engagement with leaders of political parties in Cross River, where it advocated the active participation of women in politics and governance.
Speaking during a meeting with chairmen of parties under the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), in Calabar the state capital, Ms Nnena Ugbor, Programme Officer at GADA, said the NGO works to promote and advance the rights of women and girls all over Cross River
She said GADA has been dealing with IPAC and that the both organizations had actually formed a group called GADA-IPAC Group, explaining “the reason the group is formed is to continue to push women to the forefront because we have noticed over time that the women are always relegated to the background in terms of leadership, political participation and decision making.”
“So our goal is actually to make a little political change even if it is not 100% but at least a little change to make sure that narrative is changed, and that is why we keep engaging the two. And I also want to use this medium to tell all of us that GADA is ready to continue to partner with you, IPAC and to partner with all branches of IPAC as well in order to make this to happen, to make our dream to come to reality.
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“This particular project is sponsored by Action Aid Nigeria and they may not be in every state of the federation. They are just in 6 states of the federation, that is where this thing is actually happening. We are starting from a pilot phase which Cross River is one of the states where it is implemented. That pilot is now what will help us to progress to other parts. But how have we been able to capture Cross River state in the first place, that is what matters and so that is where you come in and we come in for that partnership and collaboration.
“Wth your drive, we are able to support in whatever way making it possible for the women to be carried along, whether at the state or ward level, but you are the ones driving it and we are the ones giving you the support to involve more women since that is our mandate. We actually started a small group of women who will be championing an aspect, two policies which are the affirmative action policy and we have the PSEA policies.
“We wanted the women to champion that at the political party level. So I do not know if the women had brought it to that point where they will discuss it with the party chairmen. Because we asked that they take it to that level and start advocating at that point. We already have that in mind, but the only thing is that since this is a very small funding that we started to test the waters, other fundings that we are expecting, when they are here, we can expand further to involve more of the policies even if it is not the two that we just started. Or we can concretize these two that we have already started.
“This particular project is called women’s voice and leadership project, WVL that is what we call it for short, you can hear the acronym, women’s voice and leadership, it is for women generally, whether it is political or other areas of decision making, as long as women are involved. Now the reason we decided to involve in political parties is because we also want to get the women involved in the political party structures. We want women in all areas, both politically and otherwise. 35% affirmation in party politics. That is what we are advocating for with the relationship GADA has with IPAC,” she said.
Engr. Edet Okon, state chairman of APP and IPAC chairman, said so far GADA is doing well. He said “they have even reached out to university students to see that they bring trainings to these people to see how they can address this cultural barriers that they may have brought in from their different families and different backgrounds. And the two meetings we’ve had, the women always are impressed, it’s not all about what comes up at the end of the meeting.
“But so many times, the series of meetings have been well arranged. I want to assure us that our partnership with GADA is a good one. Let’s do as much, of course as we meet, we already have plans to elaborate our partnership as we discuss with one of the managers of GADA that we have plans to get our women across the senatorial districts, across the 18 local government chapters for more events to bring in GADA and bring in more women so that their 35% affirmation can even be more that 35% at the end of the day. So I want to thank everyone, I want to thank GADA specially, for being here with us today.”
Contributing, Dr. Ekpenyong Ambo, the state chairman of SDP said although there are policies of IPAC that could bring more women onboard, they however need funding.
“So in political parties it is not easy because if you look critically, most of the political parties are self-funded and the only way this can be acquired is if we have the backing of GADA for us to promote those policies where we will sit down as IPAC and create a room where we could develop some clusters that will bring in women compulsorily.
“We use the word compulsorily because if you look critically at IPAC chairmen, it is not compulsory that it may be a man or woman, but most at times women don’t come out. But they are policies that we could put together that we will make it a compulsory issue where we have no option than to place a woman in that position.
“But before we do such, there are some protocols that we have to go through which involves funding. So if on this note, GADA is willing to go through that process, such item can be in our agenda going forward. So it is like an appeal for you and your team to look into,” he submitted.
