An Initiative, Gender and Election Watch (GEW) Room have called on the Federal Government to ensure stringent measures to protect female candidates and electorates in elections.
It said women’s participation in the democratic process is critical to achieving a truly inclusive democratic process. The Chief Executive Officer, Mufuliat Fijabi, stated this at a news conference in Abuja.
According to her, efforts of security agencies at the just-concluded polls are commendable but need to be improved to record zero security breaches and intimidation throughout the elections, especially to secure the confidence and participation of women in the process.
She said;
“Women need to improve on their turn out in numbers and continue to be resilient. Security should continue to comply with the requirements of the law on elections and uphold it to record zero intimidation of voters on election day. Women need to be assured of their safety during elections.
“The conduct of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections has been largely peaceful, and has witnessed the resilience of many Nigerians, especially women who participated as voters, poll officials and candidates.”
Fijabi said GEW deployed 400 observers across seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT. She lamented the kind of violence experienced by some female candidates and the electorate. She condemned the act and called on relevant security agencies to take action to forestall a recurrence.
The GEW Room is an initiative of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF). It is an organisation founded to close the gender gap in governance in Nigeria.
cc: The Nation Ng
