Group Seeks Inclusive Leadership for Women

By: Mnena Iyorkegh,

Stakeholders have advocated for the total inclusion of women’s representation in politics and leadership positions without any negative stereotypes against them.

This was made known at a Public Presentation of a book entitled “Politics X & Power ’’, written by gender activist and Executive Director of Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI), Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack.

At the unveiling, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, said there was a need for women to get total inclusion to participate in leadership roles at all levels.

She also called on women to desist from ‘pull her down syndrome’ and show support for their fellow women who have shown political interest in representing their communities.

“For me, women should be treated with all sense of responsibility. We are very important people created by God and we should not be put down either in politics or power”. She said

The book reviewer, Amina Salihu said unless the men shift ground and make sacrifices by giving chance and space to women the country would be holding down fifty (50) percent of its population which is counterproductive.

“Nobody holds down fifty percent of their population which is women and you hope to make progress. The person hold down, the person holding down, everybody will be performing at less of their optimum capacity because all going to be bent down and not be able to raise our heads and achieve what we have to achieve” 

Also speaking the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies ( NILDS ), Abubakar Sulaiman who was also the keynote speaker said challenges abound in achieving true gender parity in politics, including the continuing manifestations of traits of cultural barriers, deep-rooted stereotypes and biases against women, as well as financial constraints, among others.

He acknowledged that ‘‘as societies evolve and progress over time, there has been a push for greater gender equality in politics from both official and unofficial quarters and as a result, women have begun to break barriers and assume leadership positions previously preserved for men’’. 

“Though there are many books that seek to address politics and power, Adaora’s is quite truly uncommon and unique. Predicated upon the gender perspective, the book is unarguably refreshing, going beyond the smokescreen to demonstrate the intricate connections of women, sex and power relations in the governance framework of our society. The book challenges us to think critically about the nature of power, its manifestations, as well as the manipulations of sex as an instrument of political domination in various political systems, and its impact on society at large”. Suleiman said.

The Author, Politics X & Power, who is also Executive Director of Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI), Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack explained that “With every chapter, I can tell you that I wrote this book out of my deep concern for the shrinking spaces for women’s participation, the looming resignation and the distorted and negative gender identities emboldened by socialization for a long period. I wrote this book not just as a reference to every individual who believes that for Nigeria full circle means to have a country where everyone counts and all citizens have a true stake but to revisit our convictions of who can be. Interestingly this book was already in the picture in my mind’s eye after daring to run in the 2019 elections, which I call baptism of fire, wind, and rain. It a journey I refer to as the uncovering of the wool over my eyes, especially as I journeyed between two worlds that of active journalism and the underbelly of politics where i experienced a complex variety of a new kind of participation which was previously unknown to me as a broadcast journalist”. She explained

According to Ms. Onyechere Sydney-Jack, impacting lives should be the priority of every human.

‘‘I always believed that the purpose of being human is to first identify a purpose that seeks to fulfill a need not just for yourself but for others, where your value brings social contentment to your immediate space or society thus bridging a gap. To a lot of people I may have failed at running an election, yet I believe this is a race not for me but for us as Nigerians and Nigeria and there can be no finishing line until we get our leadership right. As they say, you can never judge a book by its cover but you can by its author Apart from picking a copy and reading this book remember the words that I left you with this morning. Life can be very special and you can truly make a mark, which doesn’t always need to have global proportions but in your space, one community at a time. Be accountable for your actions and learn from them. Keep nurturing your passions and remain as driven, bright, and astonishing”. She added

Women were urged to be themselves, wise and always be prepared to take the mantle of leadership.

Dominica Nwabufo