Senator Kingibe Advocates for Legislative Support for Women’s Inclusion in Governance

Senator Ireti Kingibe of the Federal Capital Territory has stressed the necessity for new legislation in Nigeria to ensure women’s inclusion in governance. During an appearance on Arise Television on Sunday, Kingibe pointed out that countries with women in governance show a direct correlation between economic development and women’s involvement in policy and decision-making.

She explained, “When parties are asked to provide three delegates from each Ward, they usually bring male delegates. But if the requirement is that one of the three delegates must be a woman, they start to include women. Making this a law would place the responsibility on parties and government agencies to seek out competent women, and they do exist.”

Kingibe addressed the outdated notion that women do not support each other in elections, noting a significant shift in awareness among women. She is working to create a database of women across the country to leverage women voters as a lobbying force.

She said, “While it may have been true in the past that women didn’t support each other, that mindset has changed. I received a lot of support from women across various spectrums. Additionally, we are developing a database of women nationwide to use as a lobbying block, demonstrating that if demands are not met, there will be consequences.

“One issue is the lack of women on the ballot. Even in proactive parties like the Labour Party, out of 109 tickets, only two or three were women. Without women on the ballot, they can’t be voted for.”

Kingibe highlighted the ongoing challenge of women’s representation in Nigerian government, with the current Senate having only four female members.