2019: UK pledges support for female candidates

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the United Kingdom has
promised to support women to run for political office.

This is according to a report compiled by the British government
as part of an event to commemorate International Women’s Day in
Abuja on Thursday.

The report noted that there is a low level of women
participation in the democratic process as only eight out of 109
senators are women while only 19 out of the 360 members of the
House of Representatives are women.

Women also occupy only 59 of the over 900 seats in the 36 state
assemblies of the federation while there is no female governor.

It read in part, “UK Aid will support federal and state
governments to be more effective, transparent and accountable to
their citizens, including through support to the 2019 elections and
empowering women to be involved.”

The UK stressed the need for a review of some laws in Nigeria
which promote discriminatory practices against women.

It noted that Nigeria needed to do more to improve the situation
of women as the country currently ranked 125 out of 145 countries
in the 2015 Global Gender Gap Index.

The report read in part, “Nigerian law is infused with
discriminatory practices against women, including an implied legal
backing to the assault of a wife and a lack of legal recognition
for rape within marriage.”

The British government said women empowerment was the key to
curbing poverty, disease and other social maladies.

The report added, “Evidence proves that if all women went to
secondary school, then infant mortality would be cut in half and
three million young lives saved every year. About 12 million
children would not have their growth stunted by malnutrition. The
tragedy of child marriage would become less common.”

It said gender-based violence transcended religion, tribe and
ethnicity with physical and sexual abuse affecting as many as 35.1
per cent of Igbo women and 34.3 per cent of Hausa/Fulani women.

The British government noted that at least 20 million girls and
women had undergone genital mutilation, which represents 10 per
cent of the global total.

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the United Kingdom has
promised to support women to run for political office.

This is according to a report compiled by the British government
as part of an event to commemorate International Women’s Day in
Abuja on Thursday.

The report noted that there is a low level of women
participation in the democratic process as only eight out of 109
senators are women while only 19 out of the 360 members of the
House of Representatives are women.

Women also occupy only 59 of the over 900 seats in the 36 state
assemblies of the federation while there is no female governor.

It read in part, “UK Aid will support federal and state
governments to be more effective, transparent and accountable to
their citizens, including through support to the 2019 elections and
empowering women to be involved.”

The UK stressed the need for a review of some laws in Nigeria
which promote discriminatory practices against women.

It noted that Nigeria needed to do more to improve the situation
of women as the country currently ranked 125 out of 145 countries
in the 2015 Global Gender Gap Index.

The report read in part, “Nigerian law is infused with
discriminatory practices against women, including an implied legal
backing to the assault of a wife and a lack of legal recognition
for rape within marriage.”

The British government said women empowerment was the key to
curbing poverty, disease and other social maladies.

The report added, “Evidence proves that if all women went to
secondary school, then infant mortality would be cut in half and
three million young lives saved every year. About 12 million
children would not have their growth stunted by malnutrition. The
tragedy of child marriage would become less common.”

It said gender-based violence transcended religion, tribe and
ethnicity with physical and sexual abuse affecting as many as 35.1
per cent of Igbo women and 34.3 per cent of Hausa/Fulani women.

The British government noted that at least 20 million girls and
women had undergone genital mutilation, which represents 10 per
cent of the global total.