The 2019 Convention of Business and Professional Women Nigeria (BPW) took place recently in Abuja with the theme “Women and Nigerian Politics; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”
Some of the dignitaries and stakeholders who attended the event include APC National Women Leader, Hajia Salamatu Baiwa Umar- Eluma, Mrs. Munira Suleiman Nalaraba, Barr Christine Akpan and the representative of Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen.
The Keynote speaker, Senator Biodun Olujimi admonished the women to support one another to achieve success in the political space.
“The way out is to get women out of where they are now. We should ensure that women are put on proper pedestals and the people who would do it are women.”
“We are going to ask our development partners to please assist us. They should not be discouraged because we have discouraged them several times. We must start from now, towards the next elections, and there are midterm elections. We should be able to itemize them, looking at various women from the constituencies, who can fit in, encourage them and ensure that they are politically oriented. Most of them miss it the minute they see the small challenge,” adds Olujimi.
On her part, the Country Director, UN Women, Mrs. Comfort Lamptey, there is a need to invest in a United Nigerian Women’s Movement. “We are divided by so many things, whether it is our economic positions, education, ethnic or religious background. We must as women our own and the issues that bind us together, whether we are talking about under-representation in politics, Violence Against Women, education of the Girl Child, Women’s health and more. We need to also invest in inter- Generational mentorship.”
According to BPW National president, Yinka Ajibola, this year’s event focuses on getting more women interested in mainstream politics as well as finding solutions to the challenges facing women in politics.
“Generally, we find that women are not fully engaged in the art of politics. There are arguments as to the underlying reasons. The crux of the matter is that we have not started to participate in a significant and meaningful way and the few times that we have done, the results are abysmal.”
Ajibola further explained that impacting on the lives of women and society, in general, is something the organization is passionate about. “Consequently, we feel that as an organization whose primary focus is “WOMEN”, we shall begin in no small measure, the process of sensitizing women on this critical aspect of our human existence.”
Humphrey Geiseb, High Commissioner of the Republic of Namibia took participants through how his country made progress for female participation in less than 29 years. “It is really resolved and labour of our President’s. In 1995 when they were preparing for the Beijing Conference, they identified problems, one of which was the position of the Girl child, who had less access than the boy child to education and all kinds of opportunities. The girl child was marginalized and there were few women in leadership Our current PM is a woman and she was active in the Beijing process. We have achieved 45 percent representation in Parliament through the Zebra approach.”
Business and Professional Women (BPW) Nigeria is an affiliate of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW), an influential international network of business and professional women with affiliates in over one hundred (100) countries in five (5) continents.
The mission of BPW Nigeria is developing the professional, business and leadership potentials of women at all levels, through advocacy, mentoring, networking, skill-building and economic empowerment programmes and projects in Nigeria.
