PRESS RELEASE
Lagos, Nigeria
March 8, 2022
International Women’s Day: IMS Seeks Greater Support for Women
The Institute for Media and Society, IMS, today, joins the rest of the world in celebrating the 2022 edition of the International Women’s Day, with the theme: #BreakTheBias.
This year’s theme is timely, especially as it concerns the situation of participation of women in politics and other areas of life in the country.
Women constitute about 50 per cent of the population of this country and have excelled in every area of life whenever they have had the opportunity to serve.
However, these have not translated into provision of adequate space for them to participate effectively in the affairs of this country.
Available data shows that from 1999 till date, the participation of women has dwindled in elective and appointive positions, with the current National Assembly showing the lowest figures since the return to democratic governance more than two decades ago.
It has also been observed that no woman has been elected into the chair or top positions in any of the major political parties. None has emerged as Governor but only as Deputy Governors and Speakers of State Houses of Assembly.
The policy environment remains generally unfavourable to the cause of women. In some situations, policies are made, as in the case of National Gender Policy, but implementation is a different ball game. In many cases, opportunities to put in place best-practice legislations are squandered by the authorities. Such is the case of the recent rejection of the gender bills in the ongoing constitution amendment process in the National Assembly.
IMS strongly believes that development efforts will remain a charade if women (half of the population, with all their capacity!) are constrained from occupying their rightful place and participating in the affairs of the country.
Hence, we recommend as follows:
To the National Assembly
• Reconsider and pass the recently rejected Gender Bills in the Constitution Review process
To the Federal Government
• Ensure the implementation of the National Gender Policy
To Civil Society
• Strengthen collaboration to support gender equality
• Work with the media to educate the populace on gender and development issues
To the Media
• Continue to educate citizens on issues of women
• Collaborate with CSOs in the advocacy for effective participation of women in the electoral process and politics in general
IMS salutes the courage of women on the unrelenting advocacy at the National Assembly for appropriate decisions in the ongoing constitution amendment process.
Happy International Women’s Day.
Dr Akin Akingbulu
Executive Director
Institute for Media and Society (IMS)
For further information contact:
Olusegun Samuel
Communication Officer
+234 8036699535
segun@imesoimeso.org
