Honouring Rt. Hon. Onanuga's Legacy: Women In Politics Must Unite for Gender Equality Now.
By Dr Gloria Laraba Shoda
The sudden death of Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, famously known as Ijaya, a couple of weeks ago has left a void in Nigerian politics.
Her transition to the great beyond did not only bring sad and shocking news to me, but to the entire womenfolk in Nigeria, because she was among the courageous women in this country who have been giving hope to our young girls and business women that they could get to the corridor of power through elections and become part of the power brokers in the country.
Her death created a great vacuum because she was the only female among the 20 principal officers in the upper and lower chambers of the 10th National Assembly. This means that her demise is a significant loss for women in Nigeria and entire Africa.
How do I explain this to the International Council of Women, ICW, among whose Board Members I am; that the National Assembly of Nigeria, the largest concentration of black race in the world, which has been having uninterrupted democratic government for the past 25 years, doesn't have any female among its 20 principal officers?.
This has a lot of implications. It means either our men in politics are not gender sensitive or our women are not participating in politics . But how can we say women are not participating in politics?
Has there been any political campaign held in this country where you will not find women in large numbers; being used by our aspiring men and political gladiators, to campaign for them?
Is there any organized election in this country where you won't find women on the queue to cast their votes for candidates who are often and mostly men? I think you can safely say that not many women run for elective posts.
Why are we not having much female contestants? Does it mean we don't have women who are brilliant enough to lead at various levels of governance? No!
Women in Nigeria and in many parts of Africa and the world, have proven their worth in various economic and political sectors.
If you don't believe me go to the banking sector and see women leading at various levels in Nigeria. Go to the media industry, manufacturing sector, real estate, engineering, medicine, architecture, transportation, civil service, academia, showbiz, religion, aviation, military and so many others.
The fact that we have seen women operating in all these sectors, rising through the ranks as well, confirms the fact that anything a man can do, a woman can do, even better.
It's in view of the above stated facts that I am encouraging our women to rise up to face the challenges of getting involved in the electoral process, in order to boost the chances of getting gender equality and promoting democratic governance in Nigeria.
Of course, we know that there are some factors affecting women in Africa, hindering them from either contesting or being voted for. But, the Yeye Oba of Makun, Sagamu, Chief Onanuga, like many other brave women, has succeeded in being the first woman in Remo land to win elections to the National Assembly twice. She even became a principal officer.
For Onanuga's death not to be a total loss for women in Nigeria there is a need to sustain her legacy.
For Onanuga's death not to be a total loss for women in Nigeria there is a need to sustain her legacy. There is a need for more involvement of women in politics, for better inclusion of women in the leadership of Nigeria's National Assembly, towards getting better legislation.
This advocacy is timely because the key players in Nigeria politics are already embarking on underground preparations for the 2027 elections. Women shouldn't fold their arms and be waiting for 2027 to come before getting involved; because by then, it would have become too late.
Before the party primary elections scheduled for next year begin, it is essential that women at various levels are encouraged to participate more in politics and the democratic process.
Onanuga's legacy is a testament to the impact women can have in politics. The fact that she served satisfactorily to the expectations of her fellow lawmakers in the 9th Assembly as Chairperson of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development was what made them considered her suitable for the post of Deputy Chief Whip in the green chamber in the 10th Assembly.
While her death is painful to us, at the African League of Women's Voters, ALWOV, it has also brought to the fore the need for more women to participate in politics. Despite the progress made in recent years, women are still underrepresented in Nigerian politics.
"The 10th Assembly have women occupying 3 out of 109 seats (2.7%) in the Senate and 17 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives (4.7%), which represents 4.2% of the 469-member Assembly".
According to the data released by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Center, PLAC, "The 10th Assembly have women occupying 3 out of 109 seats (2.7%) in the Senate and 17 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives (4.7%), which represents 4.2% of the 469-member Assembly".
"With current figures for the 10th National Assembly, Nigeria remains at the bottom of the list in the ranking for the number of women in African Parliaments." The PLAC data disclosed.
The time to act for gender equality is now. Women must be empowered to take on leadership roles and participate in the democratic process to ensure good governance and gender equality.
It is time for women to reflect on the past efforts of those who have actively participated in politics and became political office holders. It is time to reflect on the efforts made by those who have fought successfully for gender equality and rights of women at different times since the era of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Margaret Ekpo, among others.
As we continue to feel the nostalgic sorrow and cherish the loving memories of our Rt. Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, let us also celebrate her legacy and the legacy of other women who have paved the way for us.
Let us use their examples as inspiration to push forward and demand more representation and inclusion in Nigerian politics.
The time to act for gender equality is now. Women must rise up in a civil and democratic manner, to take their rightful place in Nigerian politics. We owe it to ourselves, our daughters, and our sisters to ensure that women are represented and included in the decision-making process.
Let us honor Onanuga's legacy by continuing to push forward for gender equality and inclusion in Nigerian politics. The time to act is now.
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