Push for affirmative action gains momentum in River State

Women politicians are still treated as second fiddles by their male counterparts but River State want to change this narrative!

This story explores how River State is implementing the 35 per cent Affirmative Action policy on women’s participation and appointment in politics

“They just bought personal cars for some of us, and it ends there. It’s their political Associates that represent them in events, instead of us as Vice Chair.” One of them said.

“Most of us are not even officially invited to events that concern the Local Government where we are supposed to be serving. Even if we attend on our own, we are ignored during the event, we are not recognized.” Another lamented.

“Only when it comes to mobilising women to gather and fill events that I’m remembered as a Local Government vice Chair here. I don’t even understand whether it’s part of our responsibility as Vice Chairs to gather women with uniforms to cheer the men, responding to their chants of “women oyee.”

Those are concerns raised by some serving female Local Government deputies in Rivers State.

Some of them, who spoke to me on condition of anonymity because they fear victimisation, said they are not being carried along in governance by their respective bosses.

While many hailed the past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike’s gender-sensitive style of female placement as the vice chairperson of the Local Government in the 23 LGAs, many of the beneficiaries are subjected to inglorious experiences as second fiddles.

On October fourth 2021, the leader of the Etche Local Government Area Council’s legislative Assembly in Rivers State, Ms Cynthia Nwala was attacked and stripped half naked allegedly by political thugs sent by her male counterparts. In the course of this interview, Ms Nwala told AWIM News that the incident didn’t deter her from participating in politics, instead the incident opened her eyes to how to play the game of politics, especially as a woman amidst men.

“I learnt a lot after that incident, and I learnt how to follow the rules of the game (politics) well. Since that incident, I know the right things to do and the right way to go. No such incident happened in the council again and everyone has understood themselves, and we work in synergy. My advice to women is when you join politics, be determined, know what you want and respect yourself. Don’t just wake up and join politics, have a mentor!”

A recent statistics of women in politics published on the 1st of February 2023 revealed that of the 991 people in the State House of Assembly in Nigeria, 44 are women, positioning women’s participation in politics at 6 per cent.

In Rivers State, the Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC) revealed that there is a slight increase in women participation in the just concluded 2023 general election in the State.

Head of Gender Relations, INEC, Rivers State, Beauty Ibiama explained that 85 women contested as candidates for; Governorship-1, Deputy Governorship-6, Senate-5, House of Representatives-18, State House of Assembly-55, making it a total of 85.

With these figures, some gender activists believe women’s representation in politics and governance in the state still falls short of the goal set by the National Gender Policy in 2006, which demands 35 per cent of women’s involvement in all governance processes.

The Executive Director, Arise for Gender and Livelihood Initiative (ALIVE), Debby Effiong said it is unfortunate that women had been relegated to welfare officers, sharing snacks and water during campaigns.

She decried the underrepresentation and marginalisation of women saying that it was time for women to change the ugly narrative.

“I don’t even understand whether it’s part of our responsibility as Vice Chairs to gather women with uniforms to cheer the men, responding to their chants of “women oyee.”

“It is sad that women have been wrongly sensitised that the only way to be in politics is to be by the sideline cheering the men. Women have been wrongly sensitised to wear uniforms, act as welfare officers and share meat pies and water.

“Till today we are still struggling: we don’t have women heading political parties or secretaries of political parties. Women who managed to come out as Presidential candidates don’t believe that they can win. Some women have sold out their rights/roles because of money. A lot needs to be done in terms of sensitisation,” she said.

But the Executive Director of the Gender and Development Action, Nyengi Irima believes that the former Governor Wike’s self-styled policy to have women occupy the Vice Chair position at the Local Government levels is commendable and a very important forward-march in the journey to increasing the number of women involved in active politics in the state.

“The fact that they are occupying that position is very important. Their representation in that position is key. This will increase the amount of women’s active participation in politics in the state.

“They may not be active now but will be active later. Look at Bonny, a woman who is the Council Chairman and she is doing well. That’s why we are advocating that they give women more active roles at the political party levels, even outside the grassroots level.”

With the goal set by the National Gender Policy in 2006, demanding that 35 per cent of women be involved in all governance processes looking unattainable, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter, has however raised hope that Rivers State will top the chart in achieving the goals set by the National Gender Policy of 35 per cent of women involved in all governance processes.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, Rivers State Chapter, Susan Serekara-Nwikhana said NAWOJ will continue to be at the forefront with other sister organizations, supporting and encouraging women to boldly participate in politics.

She said, “With the slight increase of the number of women involved in the 2023 general elections and the state governor’s gender policy, more women are realizing the great role they play in the society and getting involved in active politics and governance in Rivers State.”

“We have been on different media platforms organizing programmes to encourage women to participate in healthy politics, and we will not relent in these efforts. We urge women to come out during any election and vote wisely and desist from selling their votes for a measly fee.” She stated.

In the same vein, the Rivers State chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has expressed high hopes that the new administration of Governor Siminialayi Fubara, will fulfil his promise of ensuring women are given befitting roles, equal opportunity and a level playing ground in politics.

The State Chairperson of FIDA Ms Adata Bio-Briggs said “We are happy that we have some women from Rivers State going to the National Assembly and becoming deputy governor, after the general election. We call on female politicians to step up their games to match their male counterparts, “she urged.

Way forward

 A former gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 election in Rivers State, Ezekiel Warigbani, while speaking on the Implementation of the 35 per cent Affirmative Action Policy on Women’s Participation and Appointment in Politics in Rivers State, said the state, especially under the former governor Nyesom Wike’s administration, embraced and implemented the policy. The former governor carried the women along, gave them appointments and made it compulsory that women must be involved in all political processes in the state.

“We expected the women to not take this for granted by putting in their best and coming out in their numbers and being useful in the political process. For me I see the state is improving to a level where the women will benefit more” he said.

Mr Warigbani said it’s high time the women show what they are worth by coming out and making good use of the opportunity, instead of crying foul.

“The women should not relent even in the face of challenges they may face, bring out what you have and the government will recognise you. They should not see themselves as inferior, when you do, that’s when complaints will come in,” he advised.

Ms Gloria Boma Harry, a publisher and a politician, after stepping down to contest as a Chairperson of Local government, Degema LGA, House of Representative and Administrative Secretary of the South-South of her former political party respectively, said the myth around female gender is a bane of women in politics.

She said the Local government Chairmanship was finally given to a male because they felt a female cannot handle the security issues in the area. As the former South-South Secretary of her former political party, she said she was been looked down on by the male politicians while her fellow gender politician felt she slept her way to the top.

“Being in politics as a female comes with a lot of guts. You need to be strong and you need to have strong will and confidence because sometimes you feel like you are losing your mind.” She said.

The former Degema Local government Chairmanship aspirant, Mr Boma Harry advised women already in Politics or aspiring to be in politics to up their game by developing themselves academically and otherwise and also always have something to bring to the table.

She didn’t leave out mentioning the need to have a political mentor as they will go a long way to fight your cause and always have your back.

“I was given the position in my former political party because of my background as a publisher and a journalist. Even when some men in the party were fighting me to get the position, my media background gave me an edge over them. If we develop ourselves, when they try to talk or fight us down, what we have will help us stand out. For women to survive, they should not just sit down and bring nothing to the table, they should bring everything to the table,” she said.

She said to encourage more women to embrace politics and to carry along those already in politics; the political parties should rewire their minds to the point of seeing every woman as qualified to occupy any political position.

“If they can see and believe in us to occupy any political positions, like being chairmen of political parties, then we can even be governors and Presidents”.

The cheering news is that the Rivers State House of Assembly currently has six females occupying the seats at the State House of Assembly. This is the highest number of females the state has recorded in its Assembly.

The Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Rivers State Chapter, Ike Wigodo described the development as commendable for women in the state. He said it’s an indication that more women are now coming out boldly to contest elections unlike before.

“Everything about leadership is not freely given; you must show interest and capacity. If no women were bold enough to come out and contest, the 36 per cent will not be realized. My encouragement is that more women should show boldness and capacity and come out and contest and vote. I see women contesting and becoming governors in this state.”

This story is part of the African Women in Media (AWIM)/Luminate Young Women in Politics Media Project