Tina Amanda
As the world marked International Women’s Day, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Rivers State, have urged women not to boycott the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections due to their disappointment with INEC in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The Chairperson Susan Serekara-Nwikhana gave the charge while commemorating this year’s International women’s Day with the theme: “Embrace Equity.”
She maintained that what INEC displayed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections was enough to discourage women from participating in the forthcoming March 11 elections, adding that women in their quest for a better society came out in their numbers on 25 February, 2023 to cast their votes, but INEC messed up the process.
Serekara-Nwikhana described women as dogged and resilient pointing out that despite the troubles associated with scarcity of fuel and naira in the country, women still out numbered men in most polling units regretting that INEC failed in its responsibility to carry out a credible electoral exercise.
She further commended the women for not taking their anger and disappointment to the streets, while encouraging them to use March 18 election as an opportunity to make positive statement in the country’s electoral process.
The Chairperson, however, reminded women that not participating in the Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections will amount to disenfranchisement as well as deny the candidates of their choice the opportunity to win respective positions.
“Rivers NAWOJ sees this year’s International Women’s Day celebration as a wake up call for all women to team up in unity and in one accord to ensure that competent and gender sensitive people are voted into power.
“With your active participation,you can decide who leads you in the next four years, the time to get the change you want politically is now, the time to vote the candidates òf your choice is now.
“Rivers NAWOJ strongly believes that when women are part of the electoral processes, growth and development are guaranteed the surest ways women can get the change they earnestly desire is by exercising their civic responsibilities.
“I urge women to use the commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day to fully embrace equity. Equity is not just a nice-to-have, but a must-have even as it is critical to understand the difference between equity and equality.”
