Women’s organisations in Gombe State have begun mobilising stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections, seeking commitments from political aspirants to address challenges affecting women and girls across the state.
The initiative, known as the Gombe Women Agenda, brings together more than 100 registered women’s groups under an umbrella platform aimed at developing a common charter of demands and engaging political actors on issues affecting women.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, the Convener of the Gombe Women Agenda, Mr Ibrahim Yusuf, said the initiative was designed to ensure that women’s concerns were incorporated into the programmes and policies of politicians seeking elective office in 2027.
According to Yusuf, the agenda focuses on harmonising the concerns of women, identifying key challenges and presenting recommendations that political aspirants can commit to implementing.
He said the organisers deliberately involved male stakeholders, as well as representatives of Islamic and Christian organisations, because the advancement of women could not be achieved by women acting alone. 
“We feel it is not necessarily just to engage the politicians directly without getting the buy-in of men,” Mr Yusuf said.
He explained that stakeholders at the meeting reviewed and critiqued the document to ensure that it reflected the concerns of the wider community and did not conflict with religious or cultural values.
Mr Yusuf said that among the key issues contained in the proposed agenda were girls’ education, maternal mortality, women’s economic empowerment and greater participation of women in politics and decision-making.
He said women played a significant role in the economy but were often inadequately recognised for their contributions.
Mr Yusuf also argued that addressing women’s challenges would have a wider impact on families and communities because women frequently bear responsibility for caring for children, men and vulnerable people, including persons living with disabilities.
He said because of that, the initiative was seeking to tackle cultural misconceptions and religious interpretations that organisers say could limit women’s participation in development and political activities.
Mr Yusuf said the involvement of religious leaders and other influential stakeholders was intended to help address such concerns and build broader support for the agenda.
He said the agenda to be presented to 2027 party candidates contained 10 major pillars and about 20 recommendations, which they intend to present to political aspirants ahead of the 2027 elections.
Mr Yusuf indicated that the agenda is anticipated to be publicly launched in September.
However, he noted that challenges related to funding may influence the precise timeline.
He stated that copies would subsequently be made available to the public and relevant political stakeholders, with the objective of securing commitments to implement the recommendations.
The Secretary of the Gombe Women Agenda, Ruth Abner, said the stakeholders were critical to the success of the initiative, hence the recognition that achieving the objectives of the agenda would require collaboration beyond women’s organisations.
“We need their collaboration before we can be able to achieve this aim,” Mrs Abner said.
She disclosed that the umbrella organisation comprised more than 100 registered women’s groups, with members seeking greater representation and inclusion in decision-making.
Mrs Abner said women faced numerous challenges that could not be adequately addressed through isolated efforts, prompting the groups to unite and amplify their voices.
She also highlighted barriers to women’s participation in elections, including inadequate support from men, insecurity, conflict and violence around polling units.
According to her, it is imperative to establish a secure environment for women to engage fully as voters and candidates.
The organisers indicated that their overarching goal is to achieve measurable advancements in the acknowledgement of women’s issues, their involvement in decision-making processes, and their socio-economic well-being in the lead-up to and following the 2027 elections.
