Ahead of the 2023 elections, stakeholders at a national dialogue with security and political stakeholders on violence against women in politics organized by the Women in Politics Forum (WIPF) in Abuja have raised concerns about the elections being categorized by violence.

Reacting to the assassination of the Women Leader of the Labour Party in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Victoria Chintex by gunmen on 28 November 2022, the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Sharon Ikeazor narrated her experience as the former National Women Leader of the Congress for Progressive Change at a political rally in Kaduna state in 2011 but she was lucky to have been rescued. Lamenting the lip service paid to address violence against women in politics noting that most interventions in addressing gender-based violence leave out women in politics, Ikeazor urged Nigerians to lend their voices in ensuring that beyond 2023 the narrative on women in Nigerian politics will change and violence against women will be eliminated and women will freely participate in politics.

Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development Kaduna state, Hon. Hafsat Mohammed Baba urged security agencies to increase efforts in protecting women in politics as the safety of everyone is key and charged women to support one another regardless of political parties.

Human Rights lawyer/Activist, Frank Tietie has called on women leaders and groups to look beyond the Nigerian security structure in the prevention of violence against women by creating a register of violence cases against women in politics as pressure needs to be put on the government and sanctions served to perpetrators.

The Stakeholders resolve to implement some of the recommendations that were made to create campaigns online and offline to emphasize the need to end violence against women in politics and amplify women’s voices to demand accountability and demand their positions in government.

Esther Alaribe
Women Radio 91.7
news@wfm917.com