NIGERIA: See Politics As Do or Die Affair

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Iyom Josephine Anenih has urged Nigerian women to see politics as a life and death affair.

The minister who was speaking at the national summit for participation in politics which began yesterday in Abuja noted that the forum was of special importance for all Nigerian women.

Addressing the over 6,500 participants at the event Mrs. Anenih stressed that over time, women continued to receive a small fraction of society's rewards but expected to silently shoulder much of society's challenges, problems and failures, adding that the era of such treatment was over.

She said "we are not here to mobilise for any political party. We are not here just to share wrapper. For decades we have been satisfied with chasing shadows, while the men grab the substance.

"The summit marks the end of that era. Today, we will discuss our issues, we will share our experiences, learn how to play politics and win but we will not share wrapper.

"Let me mention that we are not here to make noise, dance; sing, eat, write a report and file it in a library where no one will ever read it. We are here for serious business.

We are here for our sons and our daughters, our brothers and sisters, our husbands; fathers and mothers. Politics is serious business: it is a matter of life and death.

"When you are giving birth in a hospital corridor because the ward is full or the nurses are on strike because their salaries have not been paid, while your governor is on holiday in his mansion in America, you will know that politics is life and death.

"When your baby is raped by a man you know, and there is nothing you can do or no one to help you get justice, you will know that politics is life and death."

In her remark, the minister of Information and Communications Prof. Dora Akunyili said women will boycott the 2011 general elections if they were not given a level playing ground.

Akunyili who painted a gloomy picture of what Nigerian women go through in the hands of their male politicians wondered why women cannot come out en-masse and vote in a woman as Vice President or Deputy Governor.

In her address, the First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan stated that women have not had desired and adequate representation in governance.

This, she said is inspite of the fact that the Beijing Conference on women marked a turning point in the struggle for gender equality and affirmative action around the world.

Dame Jonathan said though governments had been streamlining the status of women, little had been achieved because policy makers around the world have been policy lip service to effective implementation of the various international laws.

The summit she said was timely and would act as a very relevant avenue to come out with workable suggestions for a platform of action.

"Let me therefore specially appeal to the lawmakers here present to please ensure that they make necessary laws which would guarantee the full implementation of the affirmative action," she said.

She however called on women to come together, support themselves and avoid the "pull her down" syndrome.

All the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were represented at the summit which opened Sunday in Abuja.