2023: WOYAEN, tasks political parties to carry women, youth, PWDs along
By: Femi Mustapha
As political activities heightened across the country ahead of the 2023 elections, a group under the auspices of Women and Youth Awareness, Empowerment Network, (WOYAEN) has urged political parties to give women, youth and People living with Disabilities a level playing field to elect candidates of their choice.
The Executive Director of WOYAEN, Dr. Rakiya Shonekan, stated this during a one day stakeholder engagement with political candidates for agenda setting on inclusion and accountability under the “Community Action for Social Inclusiveness in Politics and Political Processes (CASIP)”.
According to her, this category of Nigerians needed to be included in the political terrain, and any serious political party should know that relegating them to the background is at their own peril.
Shonekan, stressed that the one-day engagement was aimed to enlighten the women, youth and the PWDs in the governance processes in the country.
She said the programme which is supported by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office and ActionAid Nigeria for inclusion of women, young people and PWDs in politics and political processes, (WE-YOU-PRO) project is to mobilize the critical minds of young people including PWDs, and all other segments of the population that will lead to translating citizens demand into policies and actions.
In his own remarks, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women, LAWN Williams Biya, said the objectives of the meeting include; “To establish a shared understanding of the WE-YOU-Pro innovation campaign among participants.
“To sensitize participants on the perspectives (Government and citizens) on ensuring inclusion and accountability in governance and administration of public offices; and establish a community accountability, community, (CAC) on the PWD advocacy/inclusion mandate area,” he said.
