The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) denounced gender-based violence against women during elections.
It has been acknowledged that one of the major barriers to increasing women’s participation in public life is violence against women during elections, according to Ms. Beatrice Eyong, the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS.
“Gender-based violence committed against women tends to deter women from participating in politics.
She claimed that it was frequently used to prevent women from exercising their political rights in the first place.
Where Do We Stand Regarding Electoral Gender-Based Violence? was the topic of Eyong’s speech at an after-elections conference in Abuja.
The Spotlight Initiative, UN Women, and the EU collaborated with the Canadian government to organize the event.
Eyong claims that some women have been forced to resign from their jobs due to threats of death.
As a result of abuse, including online abuse and cyberbullying, some women have frequently withdrew from public life.
“Gender-based violence against women candidates has taken many different forms,” she claimed.
Eyong claimed that the absence of information on violence against women in politics (VAWP) had a negative impact on evidence-based advocacy for influencing changes in laws and policies and for establishing thorough protection systems for women in politics.
Mrs Samuela Isopi, the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said it was a well-known fact that women are underrepresented in Nigeria’s political environment.
“Unfortunately, the 2023 elections show a trend in the wrong direction,” she said.
Isopi, represented by Esme Stuart, Project Manager, Human Rights and Gender Section, said concerted efforts must be made to break the barriers to meaningful participation of women in leadership positions.
She believes that strong, vibrant democracies must be built and maintained in order to achieve full and equitable participation of women in public life.
Mrs Djifa Ahado, Head of Cooperation, Government of Canada, corroborated that the 2023 elections saw another decrease in the overall number of women candidates, while the overall number of women elected to office at the national and state levels remained relatively unchanged.
Ahado, who said that the country now ranks as one of the lowest in women’s representation in African Parliaments, said: “Together, we need to sustain the efforts and the advocacy to see a real change happening. ”.
Ms Aishatu Abubakar, who is the AIG, Gender Advisor, Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, said during the 2023 general elections, the Nigerian police ensured that vulnerable groups like pregnant women, nursing mothers, people living with disabilities, the ageing population, were given priority to cast their votes.
“We are gender sensitive and gender-responsive. The Nigerian police is mindful of issues of gender-based violence in Nigeria,” she said.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani admitted that violence and stigmatisation contributed to low women participation in politics.
He said women are the biggest player in the art of growing a stable society, hence, the need to encourage them.
A university professor, Mrs Joy Ezeilo, hinted that out of about 1, 533 women candidates in the 2023 general elections across the country, only 72 candidates won their elections.
She said in the Senate, three women won the seats as against eight women currently in the upper house while 14 women were elected in the House of Representatives. She described the trend as “disturbing. ”.
