British Deputy High Commissioner Gill Lever Visits Women Radio 91.7FM, Champions Women’s Political Empowerment

BY EMMANUEL OLONADE

The British Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, H.E. Gill Lever OBE, visited Women Radio 91.7FM on Monday 24 February 2025 engaging with the board and staff of the women-centric radio station, which is dedicated to promoting gender balance and women’s empowerment in Nigeria.

Toun Okewale Sonaiya, CEO of Women Radio, welcomed DHC Lever and highlighted the station’s mission in amplifying women’s voices. CEO Sonaiya emphasised that Women Radio is unapologetically women-centric, promoting women across all spheres of society and addressing unique challenges faced by women in politics, education, health and technology.

According to CEO Sonaiya, a survey conducted by Women Radio 91.7FM revealed a significant gap in women’s support for female candidates, with 8 out of 10 grassroots women with voting power not voting for other women. To address this issue, Women Radio organised the 2024 Voice of Women (VOW) Conference bringing together 250 grassroots women and 250 women from the public and private sectors including female politicians to discuss ways to encourage more women to support female leadership.

H.E Gill Lever & Toun Okewale Sonaiya

Speaking on the Special Seats Bill, CEO Sonaiya stressed that having only four female senators is imbalanced and that the Special Seat Bill would ensure adequate representation of women in the National Assembly. She appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “to champion the Special Seats Bill because when women are involved, Nigeria’s economy will grow in alignment with your mandate”

DHC Lever commended Women Radio for its impactful work in advancing women’s rights and empowerment, describing the station’s initiatives as crucial to Nigeria’s development. She reiterated the British High Commission’s commitment to supporting gender equality projects and expressed concern over the global rollback of women’s rights. “The debates about women’s leadership vary across religions and cultures, but there is nothing that says women should not be in political power,” DHC Lever stated. “I am an advocate for women’s causes, particularly women’s political empowerment. We need more women in positions of power and leadership to create a more inclusive and just society.”

DHC Lever argued that empowering women is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic move for national development. She stressed that women in political office was not ‘zero sum, and stated: “There is compelling evidence that women in political office could increase a country’s GDP by 10 – 20% – the effects women were shown to have on social, economic and health policies, and peace building approaches improve the lives of men and boys, as well as women and girls.”

She highlighted Nigeria’s potential to become a global leader, noting that women could be “hidden gems for transformative change”.  The Special Seats Bill, DHC Lever explained, provides a way to include more women in the National Assembly, adding 37 seats for women in the Senate, 30 more seats for women in the House of Representatives, and 108 seats for women in State Assemblies.  It was a temporary measure to help women into office as the current system all but precluded them.

The visit concluded with DHC Lever expressing optimism about the future of women’s leadership in Nigeria and reaffirming the British High Commission’s support for initiatives that promote gender equality. Women Radio 91.7FM continues to lead the charge in advocating for women’s rights and representation, setting a powerful example for media organisations across the country.