Executive Director, Democratic Action Group (DAG), a Non-governmental Organization, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad Yahaya has described the year 2019 as a significant turning point for Women in Kano politics, considering the high level of enthusiasm they exhibited in contesting for various positions of leadership.
Speaking at a one day symposium organized for female students on participating in leadership positions held at the conference hall of the Aminu Kano School for legal and Islamic studies in Kano Thursday, he said even though no single Woman was able to clinch the position she had contested for in the recent elections in Kano, the degree of interest they have exhibited, had attested to the fact that they had woken up from their slumber.
Citing the example of Hauwa El-Yakub, Barrister Shatu Dankani and other notable Women that had fully participated and vied for respective positions during the recent elections to buttress his point, the DAG Executive Director maintained that, losing election does not implied that one was totally weakened or demoralized pointing out that Women who had contested and lost the election had the ample chance to try their luck in future.
Speaking in the same vein, a renowned Kano based Islamic Scholar, Dr. Abdulmutalib Ahamad Muhammad said Women participation in politics was not forbidden in Islam , in as much as a Woman presented herself with decorum, prestige and credibility stressing that exposing Woman to leadership position does not implied that she is bereft of honour.
According to him, history had shown that there were many Women of substance who had sacrificed their lives in the evolution of political and Islamic dynasties that had stood the test of time positing that electing them to certain position like the National Assembly would open their eyes to fighting a course that would make them to assert their usefulness in many spheres of human endeavour.
He however stated that the stunning success recorded in sensitizing the Women folk to be fully alive to the great challenge, could be attributed to the consistent effort of the the Nigerian Democratic Institute (NDI), Democratic Action Group (DAG) and Women in Politics(WIP) having waged the struggle almost to a logical conclusion.
