The Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) will on Tuesday in Abuja host a stakeholders meeting to develop a unified platform towards advancing the rights of women and girls in the country.
The meeting, which is devoid of political coloration, will among others, demand for 40 percent slots reserved strictly for women across all political parties.
National Coordinator of the Nigerian Feminist Forum, Blessing Duru, in a statement at the weekend, noted that successive administrations and political parties since 1999 have openly endorsed increased female participation but without a committed approach to bring it to fruition.
“Very few women can compete favourably with their male contemporaries due to their numerous challenges especially in the face of financial, family, and traditional culture.
“It is on the strength of these that the Nigerian Feminist Forum plans to evolve a consensus network and strategy which will ensure political parties allot 40 percent slots to only women which will be contested by only women.
“Our plan is to gradually increase participation and capacity for women and by extension begin a mentoring process for young women which will reflect in improved families and nation as a whole”, she said.
The NFF had in the past actively engaged in strategic action plans to ensure an all-inclusive government that will increase women’s voices and leadership in Nigeria.
She stressed the belief of NFF that women belong in all places where decisions are being made, and deserve to question policies that are not gender inclusive.
She disclosed that the Abuja meeting would hold at Rockview Hotel, to be attended by various women and youth groups, political parties, ethnic and sociopolitical groups as well as professional societies.
“The NFF’s overall objective is to improve female representation in all spheres of life, encourage equal participation opportunity in political spaces as well as in decision making positions and to find out possible ways to mitigate challenges, X-raying the electoral constitution guiding active political parties, and advocating for change in the laws to accommodate women, whilst still adhering to constitutional principles” Duru added.