Relevant stakeholders have validated the findings of a recent baseline study carried out by the Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC) on the inclusion of women, youths and persons with disabilities in elective positions.
The study was necessitated by the discovery that women and youths form greater percentage of the electorate but are given less opportunity into elective positions.
The study is part of Project IMPACT being implemented by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in partnership with SIDEC, with funding support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
In her opening remarks during the validation meeting, the Executive Director, SIDEC, Ugochi Ehiahuruike, said Project IMPACT is being implemented in Anambra and Imo states, to promote inclusive participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in elections and governance.
She regretted, “Unfortunately, women’s representation in governance is alarmingly poor. In Anambra State, we have just two (2) female lawmaker out of 30 in the State Assembly.
“Imo State has no female assembly member out of 27. Nationally, women hold only 3.7% of Senate seats and 3.9% in the House of Representatives.
“The Special Seats Bill, a proposed constitutional amendment to reserve seats for women in legislatures, offers a bold step toward gender equity. However, awareness and grassroots support for the bill remain low, especially among the women it aims to empower.
Voter apathy a nagging challenge
She further lamented, “We also face challenges of voter apathy, with Anambra recording only 10% turnout in its 2021 gubernatorial election.
“Youth and marginalized groups often perceive elections as corrupt, violent, or irrelevant. Disinformation further erodes public trust, suppresses participation, and distorts democratic choices.
“In this validation meeting, we will present key findings and collect feedbacks to strengthen the report’s accuracy and relevance, build consensus on baseline indicators to track project progress and foster shared ownership and credibility among stakeholders
“Together, we can address these challenges and create a more inclusive and representative democracy.
In a goodwill message, Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, extolled the intervention by SIDEC towards a peaceful and credible governorship election next month.
“I am particularly happy that you carry out this study on a particular concern we all share which is voter apathy. You can always count on us for support and partnership. I charge all of us to work towards implementing the recommendations of the study.
Timely and strategic
The Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra State Chapter, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, described the validation exercise as both timely and strategic.
“It speaks to the urgent need to deepen our democracy by ensuring that no one is left behind. For far too long, women, PWDs and youth have been underrepresented in leadership and decision-making spaces.
“We need to dismantle structural, institutional, and attitudinal barriers to participation while amplifying inclusive practices.
The Youth Leader, Anambra State Town Unions Council (ASTUC), Comrade Ken Okoli pledged to join SIDEC in ensuring better voter turnout of voters during the forthcoming election.
“We are committed to ensuring that no youth will be seen on the election day playing football. If you see such, hold us responsible. We are putting measures in place to encourage the young ones to own the process.”
The ASTUC Woman Leader, Lady Oti, regretted the traditional tendencies to relegate women to the background a situation she noted has undermined the potentials of many women.
Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Anambra, Dr. Elizabeth Agwu, contended that the credibility of any election depends not only on INEC as umpire but on collective efforts of all stakeholders.
REC charges women
She charged women to strive for excellence and make remarkable impacts in any field of human endeavour. “If you do that, no man will look down on me.”
In their goodwill messages, Professors Uche-collins Nwogwugwu, and Jaja Nwanegbo as well as former Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ichie Damian Okeke-Ogene, extolled SIDEC’s intervention challenging women to build confidence in their leadership capacity.
According to the findings presented, factors fueling voter apathy in Anambra include insecurity, distrust in INEC, patriarchal exclusion of women, neglect of PWDs, poverty, financial barriers, and the spread of fake news.
To address it, the study recommended strengthening election security, rebuilding trust in INEC through transparency, inclusive voter education, as well as passage and implementation of the Special Seats Bill.
It also highlighted the need to support women, youths, and PWDs with financial and capacity-building opportunities, while making frantic efforts towards combating fake news through fact-checking and legislations.
Stakeholders made contributions to the study findings which they described as true reflections of current realities in Anambra State.
They unanimously approved the study findings which will be printed for wide distribution.
A broadcaster, Mrs Ify Unachukwu stressed the need to produce the findings in local language to drive home its message to the nooks and crannies of the state.
