NGO Harp On Need For Inclusion Of More Women In Enugu Traditional Rulers Cabinet

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, September 1st, 2022

… Presents Study Report

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A non- governmental organization, Women Information Network (WINET), has stressed the need for continued awareness creation for the inclusion of more Women in Traditional Rulers Cabinet of Enugu State.

The organization, which has bias for Women and girl’s rights, posited that this is necessary because it would be in line with actions being taken to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) five, which seeks to achieve gender quality.

It equally harped on the need to design training programmes with a view to educating Monarchs in Enugu and other States of Nigeria on their roles in ensuring the achievement of the Seventeen (SDG).

These were part of recommendations based on the findings on a study of assessing the extent of inclusion of Women in leadership by Traditional Rulers in six Communities of Enugu state, carried out by WINET between 2010 and 2021.

Presenting report of the study funded by Ford Foundation, West Africa, and supported by Nigerian Women Trust Fund, (NWTF) to media and the Civil Society organizations in Enugu yesterday, Executive Director of WINET, Mrs. Miriam Menkiti, stated that Women inclusion and their participation in Traditional Cabinets is considered as one of the final stages in the process of ensuring gender equality and improving gender power relations.

She noted that there have been several campaigns in that regard in Enugu state, South- East Nigeria.

“This study has therefore, two objectives,1, to assess the extent, advocacies have influenced Women’s inclusion in leadership and decision making by Traditional Rulers in Enugu State Communities between 2010 and 2021.

According to her, the second objective is to ascertain if the Communities have developed the legal framework that accommodates inclusion of Women in leadership and decision making.

The study she further explained, was designed to collect data quantitative and qualitative survey, adding that sampling was used to select one community in each of the three Senatorial districts of the State “which have women members of the traditional ruler’s cabinet.

She disclosed that the data collection for the study were analysed using simple descriptive statistics – cluster bar Charts and tables.

The WINET boss, gave the names of the six selected Communities to include, Obige- Obukpa and Breme – Ehandiagu in Enugu North Senatorial zone, Mbulu- Owo and Umueze Enugu East, as well as Alum- Inyi and Ezema- Olo in Enugu West Senatorial district.

The study equally revealed that Women’s exclusion from decision making at the traditional Council has prevented them from influencing decisions that will protect them.

“Their absence at this Council therefore, makes it difficult for them to dialogue and debate on why they should enjoy equal status with the men in the Communities.

Though, findings of the study, revealed that some Traditional Rulers in the state have started including women in their Cabinet, but WINET and other CSOs operating in the area are still canvasing for more inclusion .

Speakers at the event, applauded WINET for carrying out such a thorough and detailed study, saying it would go a long way in making more Monarchs in the state to see reason for the inclusion of more women in their cabinets