The first lady has pleaded with Nigerian women to please vote her husband again, so they can continue to benefit what they have been enjoying from the present administration. Mrs Jonathan who was represented by the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, at the opening of a two-day National Conference on Women and Elections, with the theme, “Enhancing Opportunities for Women Candidates”, said the women also need to remember that the girl child education became more prominent under this government.
“I want to once again, urge you to continue to give support to our dear President, who has shown that he is not only gender sensitive but believes in the power and capacity of women to bring about change in society. He has been doing his best to promote the interest of women in Nigeria. It is now time for us to show him our appreciation for all he has been doing as he seeks re-election“.
“It is gratifying that more families are today investing in girls’ education and there are pointers to the fact that in the nearest future, more women will be politically and economically independent.
“However, there is the need to create the enabling environment to enhance women active participation in all areas of development. We must as women begin to aggressively unite, network and build alliances across gender divide in order to secure meaningful change,” she said.
The Women Affairs Minister, Hajia Zainab Maina, in her speech at the occasion however regretted that women were not being taken along in decision and law making.
“The number in terms of female representation in Nigeria reflects the almost exclusion of women. With less than seven per cent representation in elective positions, Nigerian women are among the less represented women in any sense when critical decisions, especially law making and distribution of the country’s resources that have unprecedented impacts on their lives are made,” she said.
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