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abujagirl
Guest
Hajiya Zainab Maina, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, on Tuesday advised women to adopt strategies to increase their participation in decision making processes.
Maina gave the advice in Abuja at the ongoing capacity building workshop for female parliamentarians on Attaining Affirmative Action for Women.
The minister said, "The low representation of women in government persists. In the general elections of 2003, women made up three per cent of elected officials".
"In 2007, they made seven per cent and in 2011, they made up about five per cent. There are no female governors and there is tangible number of women among the 774 local government chairpersons".
"In 2013, out of the 564 board members appointed into various government institutions and agencies, only 65 women were appointed which is only 12 per cent of the total appointment, while 449 men were appointed.
"Also out of the 103 board chairpersons appointed, only three were women, which is only three per cent of the total".
Maina stressed the need for all Nigerians to commit to producing a gender equitable society.
The Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mrs Chinwe Nwaebi, also said that restrictions created by socio-cultural practices on women could be blamed for the poor participation of women in decision making processes.
She said that for Nigeria to overcome gender based discrimination and inequality, women must be given adequate representation in decision making.(NAN)