” I have to learn violence”, Ita-Giwa on inclusiveness of women in politics, others
The former Senator in Nigeria’s National Assembly representing Cross River South senatorial district Ms. Florence Ita-Giwa has said that she learned violence to leverage her political career against the backdrop of the harsh political terrain in Nigeria which disproportionately excludes women in politics.
She made the remark today Friday while appearing as a guest on The Morning Show on ARISE television where she was squeezed on the politics of inclusion and empowerment of women against the backdrop of the substantially low numbers of women in elective and appointive positions in the country.
And contrary to what obtains in Senegal which is a benchmark for women’s participation in politics in Africa, the number of Nigerian women in elective and appointive positions is abysmally low.
Ita-Giwa who expressed dissatisfaction with the 35% affirmation for women slots in elective and appointive positions preferred a 50/50 formula for appointive slots while urging women to get into the political arena and slog it out with their male counterparts.
She said women should go beyond singing and dancing in rallies for a candidate to rustling votes in their domains saying in her own time she fought it out in Bakassi. However, she acknowledged the flaw in the contemporary political space in the country which in her word is systemic.
“Today the system is frustrating women from taking a shot at government. The arrangement in states does not do not favour women participation in elective positions”. She said everybody wants political power and challenged women to be fearless with the prompting ‘ go out and fight’.
Responding to the question of where she stands in the politics of Cross River State she said ” I come from a State where the method of transition has been zoning where each governor enjoyed two terms though an attempt was made to truncate the arrangement on Ayade’s second term. Ayade has resuscitated it by having a southern candidate on the platform of the APC”. She commended the APC flagbearer as being the right person for the job in 2023.
