By Bashir Mohammed
Kano
Wife of the governor of Kano state, Hajiya Hafsat Umar Ganduje, has said that marginalising the women folk in the affairs of governance and other important spheres of human endeavour was a bad omen for a promising democratic dispensation, adding that their potentials must be adequately tapped.
Speaking at the annual Women leadership summit organised by the Democratic Action Group in conjunction with the support of the Voices for Change in Kano yesterday, Hafsat said it had been a common trend all over the globe that women were now taking the lead in the affairs of governance.
According to her, the nascent democratic system in the country had been dominated by men courtesy of the wealth and influence to call the shots and dictate the tune of events.
The first lady, who was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hajiya Aisha Muhammadu Bello, stressed the need for the women folk to rise to the challenge of breaking the jinx of men dominance on challenging positions of authority and leadership.
In his presentation, DAG’s Senior Programme Officer, Mr. Abdulrahaman Lekan Budmus, said promoting women leadership and political inclusion in the present political dispensation would bring to an end the negative stereotypes that remain a cog in their wheel to forge ahead and stamp their imprimatur, affirming that no society could ever develop without women carried along.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director, Democratic Action Group, Alhaji Muhammad Mustapha Yahaya, said DAG had been consistent in creating awareness for them to fully comprehend their societal role, adding that the annual summit would be used as a platform in charting a new course for women to be properly guided on how to move forward.
