Getting our women ready for 2019m By Adewale Kupoluyi

As Nigerians gear up for the general elections, many events are unfolding that suggest that next year’s poll is likely to be the most-keenly contested in the annals of the country.
As usual, it is the men that dominate the political landscape, as not many women have so far shown interest to vie for elective posts in the election that is less than a year to go.
This should not be so.
Many challenges are facing Nigerian women and by extension, African women that tend to limit their immense abilities and potentials to contribute to national development.
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof.
Mahmood Yakubu, has equally decried the low representation of women in elective positions in the country, pledging to increase their participation in the electoral process through advocacy, partnerships and voter education.
He observed that only about four per cent of the elective positions that were contested under his administration so far had been won by women, recalling that the unimpressive statistics underscored the challenge and why all stakeholders change the trend.
To address the challenge, ‘The Million Women’ (TMW) initiative is poised to fill this vacuum by getting more Nigerian women to occupy elective posts come 2019.
According to Mrs. Mary Ikoku, the founder of TMW, “My vision is to increase the talent pool of women running for office in Nigeria by providing a platform, resources and development opportunities for aspiring female political leaders.
We want to get more Nigerian Women into elective and appointive leadership positions by advocating for the sustainable attainment of at least 35 per cent affirmative action for women.
My vision for the million women is that it will become the foremost organisation, leading the advocacy for greater women participation in politics and inclusion in the leadership and decision-making processes in Nigeria.
The goal is pretty straightforward – to strengthen democracy and engender a sustainable future of shared peace, prosperity and development by working to encourage greater women participation in politics, facilitate the execution of the National Gender Policy and fast-track the attainment of 35 per cent affirmative action for women representation in government”.
In realising these set of goals and objectives, Ikoku said she “needs the support of both men and women to change the mindset of most of our citizens”.
Before launching TMW, Mary worked for many years as a Policy Communication Specialist on several Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies including the Federal Ministry of Information, Ministry of Finance, Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme and Bureau of Public Service Reforms, where she implemented various schemes to expand governmental outreach and relations.
She worked for International organisations like Adams Smith International and the World Bank, among others.
Few weeks ago, Channels Television talk show, “Seriously Speaking”, hosted by the ace broadcaster, Mrs.
Adesuwa Onyenokwe, discussed the topic; “Why Do We Have So Few Women in Politics?”.
It featured two presidential candidates in the 2019 elections; Dr. (Mrs.) Elishama Ideh and Prof. (Mrs.) Remi Sonaiya.
During interaction, Ikoku observed that, “when a woman mounts that position of leadership, you will see a clear difference.
Look at our homes, women run the homes.
They are better managers of resources, whether you like it or not.
And I have had this conversation with a man who said to me: ‘look, it’s really time for women in Nigeria’”.
Expressing her confidence in the abilities of women in the forthcoming elections, she added that, When people push the narratives that Women are their own enemies, “I think we need to be careful with what narrative we come out with because these narratives have always been there and is being pushed up by a certain group.
I’m not saying it is not entirely true, but I’m also saying even the other gender; the men also do not support themselves.
Sometime, they are jealous of each other.
It’s a human nature.
But let’s be careful what we project on what others should be.
Can we take our minds back to Aba Women Riot (of 1929)? Was that riot done by men? This was a riot in which women were converging, coming together, organising to form a formidable group, protested and turned over a policy by the British.
When we come together, we can do it”.
The Million Women is set to empower our women with training programmes, across the country, beginning with Lagos in September, expressing her confidence that “When more women contest elections, more women would lead, more voices would be heard, more bills passed and more challenges would be met”.
In view of the identified problems and the short period that is available to mobilise Nigerians before the general elections, it is hoped that all players would swing into action by ensuring that this time around, there is adequate women participation in politics and eventually, winning.
It is time to truly match words with actions.
That is the difference that the ‘The Million Women’ initiative could make for the timely and transformational change that the country urgently needs.