By Rakiya A.Muhammad
Policymakers and other relevant stakeholders have been urged to devise concrete measures to reverse the disproportional representation of women in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria.
The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day workshop on building the capacity of women journalists to participate in democratic processes in Nigeria.
The workshop was organised by Humint Development Consult Limited in partnership with Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) and supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
The event drew participants from Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.
“The representation of women in elective and appointive positions in Nigeria has been disproportional compared to their numbers despite the efforts of different groups to reverse the situation,” it noted.
The communique signed by Malam Bala Hassan MNIM, Director, HUMINT, and Zainab Abdurasheed, Program Officer, Electoral Reforms Project, WRAPA, called governments at all levels and development partners to establish special funds to support female candidates and marginalised groups.
It recommended the institutionalization of a mandatory gender quota system across all levels of governance, a crucial step towards achieving the 35% representation target outlined in the National Gender Policy.
The communique also stressed the need to address stereotyping and bias, which it observed undermine the credibility and impact of women journalists.
“Media organisations should create a safe-reporting mechanism for cases of harassment and discrimination to empower women journalists to speak without fear of retribution,” it advocated.
“Female journalists should be given opportunities for training and retraining, security cover, proper mentorship and funding to enable them to discharge their duties in advocating for electoral reforms in Nigeria.”
It added that media organisations should adopt clear guidelines that ensure equitable treatment for all employees regardless of gender, including criteria for assignments, promotions, and leadership appointments to eliminate biases.
