Ezekwesili: Why women must take politics more seriously

Obi Ezekwesili, former minister of education, says women must take party politics seriously.

Her statement comes hours after Mary Leonard, United States ambassador to Nigeria, said women’s participation in Nigeria’s politics has gone backwards in space of four years.

As the keynote speaker at the International Women’s Day award gala in Lagos, Ezekwesili said removing barriers in certain areas of women’s life will see them “make progress and contribute to the progress of society”.

On politics, she said women must be strategic and collaborate with the youthful population of the nation to form and run their own political parties if the status quo refuses them access to the established parties.

“Removing these barriers, which could be social cultural, economic, financial, or just systemic in the wider definition of barriers, one thing that stands out is that women must gain political currency,” she said.

“If women don’t gain political currency, they cannot inform the debate on the other issues, and that is why we must acknowledge those women who are running for one political office or the other in the 2023 elections.

“To gain political currency, the political parties are the gatekeepers of how far women can go in politics. We assume that the political parties are not that important, they are the gatekeepers. They are the ones that determine whether women get on the ballot papers or not.

“So, it is time to be more strategic, for all of us around the world. It is time for women to pay more than a passing attention to the matter of political parties. 

“How they are formed, how they are run, how their internal democracies work and to the extent that political parties do not allow women to gain political currency within them, women must learn the strategic power of collaborating with young people in the population to form their own political parties.”

Meanwhile, at the gala, several persons were honoured for their contributions to relevant sectors of the society.

Priscilla Iyari won in the private sector category; Aisha Tofa in the feature award category; Aisha Zannah won the grassroots and civil Ssociety category; Grace Jerry won for leadership and governance; and Kemi Adetiba won the media and culture category.

Clem Agba, minister of state for budget and national planning, won the ‘HEFORSHE’ category; Abiola Afolabi took home the outstanding leader award, while Dame Tallen, the minister of women affairs, won the lifetime achievement award.

Below are photos from the gala night.