By Tina Amanda
The League of Women Voters of Nigeria (NILOWV) has advocated for an end to gender-based violence against women in politics.
Chairperson of NILOWV, Ruth Davies, disclosed this when she led the association members to the office of the International Federation of Women Lawyers FIDA Rivers State, to seek partnership, to tackle the culture of silence against gender-based violence and ensure the perpetrators are brought to book.
According to her, the widespread gender-based violence against women is deeply rooted in the political system in Nigeria, and the discrimination against women has continued to have an effect on the lives of female politicians, activists, and female voters not peculiar to our country, but all around the world.
“Gender-based violence has been the order of the day in our country where female voters are been molested and harassed sexually during the elections period, women are persistently undermined and discouraged from being politically active.
“Gender-based violence, and in particular violence against women, is one of the most pronounced expressions of the unequal power relations between women and men.
“NILOWV as a body is out to put a stop to gender-based violence, that is why the League of Women Voters of Nigeria is collaborating with FIDA to have a memorandum of understanding on how the culprit of the gender base violence will be handled.
“However, gender-based violence is not only peculiar to political adversaries but women can be subjected to violence by their family and their peer group in an attempt to disabuse them from joining politics.
To avert this gender-based violence, there is a need for urgent action to be taken by all the stakeholders that is at the helm of affairs in the states, including civil society organizations and other independent bodies in helping solve the gender-based violence pandemic.
“It imperative that all women in politics, whether at the local or national level, must be empowered to tackle the culture of silence against gender-based violence. They have to speak up and report such violence to appropriate quarter”.
In her response, the Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers FIDA Rivers, Adata Bio-Briggs, assured NILOWV of their support to ensure that the rights of women aspirants and women voters are protected under the laws during elections.
“FIDA as a nonpartisan organization is out to provide legal services to the vulnerable especially women and children. Preserve, promote, and protect the rights of women and children and their wellbeing.
“Violations against women during election period are part of the cases we handle. This falls in line with what we do, it is not something we can not do.
“FIDA Rivers in particular has been at the forefront of promoting women voters, last year before the election we had two different programs one to increase women’s participation in politics, and the other one was a town hall meeting with all the gubernatorial aspirants from all the political party.
“We wanted to hear from them, what they have for the women, these are some of the things we have done as an organization to promote female voters and make sure there is an increase in participation of women in politics. We believe that when we have more women participate in politics we would have better laws.
Two years ago we had some National Assembly members that were ready to push some laws for us and they pushed. We are not going to back out from this, elections are coming very soon and FIDA will provide legal services for women who are violated both aspirants and voters”.
