Tallen tasks INEC on favourable conditions to encourage more women
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Mrs Pauline Tallen, the former Minister of Women Affairs, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure favourable conditions that will encourage more women into politics.
Tallen said this in Abuja while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the inauguration and unveiling of a book titled: “From Margins to Mainstream: Navigating Gender Inclusiveness in Nigeria”.
The about 200 pages book was written by Princess Nikky Onyeri, a gender advocate, and politician.
The former minister who decried the low number of women in the political space equally called on political parties in the country to also make their condition flexible, saying that this will encouraged more women into politics.
According to Tallen, there are countless number of women that can stand shoulder to shoulder with men when it comes to political issues, adding that better conditions must be given if this must happened.
She also called on the women to come out en-masse to vote the right candidates in the forthcoming Edo and Ondo elections.
“I feel so sad because the number of women that are giving ticket is not enough, it is just a little percent and this amount to nothing, it is not that the women are not willing to come out, but they are not been given the support.
“We are calling on all our political parties, we are calling on INEC to make sure they give better conditions to encourage the women for the betterment of the country.
The former minister appreciated President Bola Tinubu, for carrying along more women in his government, adding that more is still needed to realised gender equality.
Tallen also commended the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, who she said she is doing a lot to support and encourage women through her pet project.
The former minister said that the first lady was doing so much in the area of empowerment of the youth as well as giving scholarship to children.
Speaking on the book, Tallen said: “the presentation speaks volume because women are doing so much, adding that it is the women that nurture the home, ensure that both the husband and children are in sound health.
“There are are a lot of responsibilities that lies in the women, they make sure the homes are in the right balance, yet it is never noticed, by the time you take a look at this book, you will appreciate women,” Tallen said. .
On her part, Onyeri said that she was inspired to write the book based on the struggle she had seen by women groups in the last 30 years, and she had since then continued
to support women emmacipation.
Onyeri, a breast cancer survivor said that she was part of protesters to the National Assembly in 2023, who called for passage of five gender bills, but unfortunately the bills were not passed, and this also spured her to write the book.
“I look at the past, the present and the future of where do our hope lies as women, and where do we want to be. This thinking had brought me to where I am today and am glad about that.
“I wrote the book from my own perspective, and I hope it will give people a cause to think about women and embrace them. I also hope the book will promote literacy.
“We are going to be donating books around the country from the fund we will raise from the inauguration of this book so that more people can know what gender is all about, we assume that many people do not know about it.”
According to Onyeri, we will also be creating endowment funds for gender studies in the universities, these are the two key projects that will be achieved after this book launch,” she said. .
Mrs Moji Makanjuola, also a gender advocate and a public speaker, commended the author of the book, adding that she had waged war against cancer, and a speaker for person’s with cancer.
According to her, women must hold each other’s hand, and stop impoverishing themselves, but must work towards developing themselves.
Igwe Simon Ikechukwu, the Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, said that the call for gender inclusiveness should not be limited to Nigeria only, but should be made global.
The Igwe commended the author of the book for coming up with such write-ups, while calling on the men folks to stop violence against women.
The highlight of the ocassion was the conferment of award of excellence on individuals that have distinguished themselves in human endeavours.
They include Mr Bernard Igwe, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, and Ikechuckwu among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ocassion was attended by dignitaries from both the private and government sector.
