Alliances for AfricaTurning Walls into Bridges
2018 was a remarkable year to
increase advocacy towards the full implementation of 35% affirmation
action. Thanks to the United Nations Funds for Gender Equality which
supported activities advocating the full implementation of 35%
affirmative action from 2016 through 2019 in South East Nigeria.
Alliances for Africa team remained active in implementing the activities
in view of the upcoming 2019 general elections and considering the
downward representation of women in political and decision-making
spaces. As at June 2018, women make 5.6% members of the House of
Representatives
and 6.5% members of the House of Senate. In the year 2018, Alliances
for Africa diversified and intensified advocacy to get more women in
leadership and decision making spaces as stated in the National Gender
Policy (NGP 2006) which supports 35% representation of women in all
political leadership spaces across Nigeria. On the movement, Alliances
for Africa engaged partners and allies. Media practitioners, Civil
Society
Organizations (CSOs), community groups, political party
leaders, people with disability, traditional rulers, religious leaders,
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), students from various
tertiary institutions and young women joined the on-going advocacy to
achieve the full implementation of 35% representation of women in
leadership spaces across the South East. From community to state and
regional level, the
advocacy towards increasing women’s participation
in politics had resulted in tremendous success. Alliances for Africa
recorded 14 appointed elected women in political leadership spaces and a
total of 24 female aspirants to vie for elective positions in 2019
elections At this crucial point of approaching 2019 elections, it is
important that advocates for women inclusion in leadership shift their
attention from the problem itself to taking actions that influence
change through Partnership and collaboration. We get greater result when
we work together to improve the lives of women
and girls across Nigeria. Maureen Iheajato.
Board Chair
