National President of Women in Politics Forum (WiPF) has said political meetings held during unsociable hours are not in any way Violence Against Women (VAW), calling on all stakeholders in politics, especially the women to desist from saying such.
Ifendu made the call Monday while responding to a session on VAW during the National Review Conference held on the theme “25 years since Beijing: Accelerating National Commitments on Beijing +25 in Nigeria, moderated by the Secretary General, Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi in Abuja.
According to Ifendu, every profession comes with its own hazards and challenges, adding that it was not proper for women to say late night meetings is a form of violence.
“Late night meetings is not violence against women in politics. Every profession comes with its own challenges and late night meetings is one for politics because that is when decisions are taken, so if you are a politician be ready to face the challenges.
“Working late into the night is not in politics alone. Doctors, Nurses, Law makers, etc all work till late night and is not regarded as violence. We shouldn’t refer to late night meetings as violence against women,” she emphasised.
In the same view, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Women Radio, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, said 60years on, women in politics should not see meetings held during unsociable hours as violence because that is the way it is.
“The media, doctors and other profession work in the night and don’t complain about that, we should rather work towards having more Godmothers sponsor more women in Politics if we must get it right,” she said.