Wahab Halimat
It is a common knowledge that half of the world’s population are women, despite this population, we hold only 23% of all seats in the parliament and senates globally. Even with the fact that the women active political participation has been stated in the universal fundamental human rights.
The low level of our participation is a waste of our democratic rights. I can say with fact that “African women are being deprived of their political rights because of the our African believe that men should be the head and should rule over our beings.” The chauvinistic nature of men cannot be over emphasized.
According to the International parliamentary union, Nigeria has one of the Lowest rate of women political participation especially in the parliament with less than 6% of women in the parliament. Across Africa and globally, Nigeria ranks 181st out of 193 countries with abysmal participation of women in the parliament.
It is not that we don’t have the ability to rule people, we have a lot of credible and able women who can govern sets of people, women who are knowledgeable and versatile in political fields but WE ARE NOT GIVEN A VOICE TO SPEAK.
Nigeria is blessed with a lot of women with the potential of giving us better services, women who can do a lot better that what we are being offered presently. For us to be able to build peaceful and coordinated homes for ourselves and families, why won’t we be able to coordinate a Nation? Our abilities should not be limited to the four corners of our matrimonial homes and our large and well-furnished kitchens. Women’s abilities are far more than the knifes we hold and the chores we do. We need to prove to the world that when you want a task done you give it to a woman.
My fellow women, it is of a great importance to continue propagating for women’s rights in our various countries. Not just to fight for our political right, but our right to life, expression, legal and socio-cultural activities. We need to co-operate and think collectively. We have raised nation builders; we can build nations.
It is time to bring ourselves together in uniformity, the lady, the girl child and the aged women regardless of the ethnicity, race and religion, we need to drive actions that will force gender equality, which is the only way to get the utopia we all deserve. It is time for our voices our voices to be heard and for our voices to make a difference.
Indeed, we can do it!
