 Welcome back to June 12th special our democracy day. It's official now that these are democracy day and we've been talking about different sectors. We've talked about the security, talked about the economy, talked about youth in politics It's time to talk about what a lot of people have considered We've been fully short over the years and the Nigerian political space hasn't always been inclusive of women At least not in equal proportion to the dad of men. The few women who have played active roles have had to be assertive elected or not Think back to the above women who protested against an unfavorable tax policy There was Queen Amina of Zaire who led men and women and of course the legendary Fumilaya Rasamkuti who fought for better representation of women in local governing bodies Now there's been low participation of women in both selective and appointed positions In the 28 years since June 12 1993 election This is despite 35 percent affirmative action recommended by the national gender policy There are currently eight female senators 11 members of the House of Representatives and seven ministers But there are crises To all critics have a good part and who say that we have to fight for it if you want to be in it But really do we? Anyway joining us to have this conversation We are winning he Jimmy day an advocate for women and young persons in political leadership Is that she's our guest and she'll be talking more on this let we let us start from I Don't know. We are far away from a submissive Action let alone talk about Having 50 50 percent that quite a lot of people have been advocating So what's your thought and where are we and how do we move from this current level to the next level at least? Thank you so much for having me and happy democracy day to you I don't think this is peculiar in fact the data tells us that this is not peculiar to Nigeria This is a global problem The fact that we seem to be standing on one foot when it comes to political leadership And if you think about it as a requirement for three feet on which democracy should balance One foot being men one being young people and the third being women Then you realize that we have been standing on one foot for quite a long time I'd like to come however from a Slightly different perspective something that has worked over the years for Polities and democracies that have actually seen increased participation in females rising to political leadership positions and this is Using effectively advocacy groups And it's there's just one story that I'd like to tell and leave us with this afternoon. I was 17 years old and at the time my mother was the president of the National Council for Women's Society's River state branch at that time River state and compass what is now by Elsa state and they had a Town hall meeting so to speak I remember at that time that the National president was Mrs. Hilda a differing and they met with the likes of People like one of our very first female permanent secretaries Mrs. Immokwede and There were also people like mrs. Bolale aware in those meetings and why did they come together? They came together as an umbrella body for all the societies across Nigeria that represented women and the outcome the manifesto the deliverable from that meeting was simple a National a ministry of women affairs and it was out of that simple meeting that the women affairs ministry was born And so single-handedly one in one little corner one in another little corner It can't be achieved But when there's a collaboration when there's a coming together Where women youth and the men who support us who think that 5050 is a good idea? find ways to come together and Determine what the steps going forward ought to be and then are very particular about realizing those steps and Putting money where our mouths are then we will begin to see the necessary support Required for a more level playing field for women and young people participating in politics You literally just played into my next question because I was going to ask how ready we are to step into that new era that new Dimension because you have just painted a very intelligent picture of how women should come together Because the collaboration of women always births new things, but it seems like as we have evolved I mean, and this is the worldwide women seem to be more involved in catfights than supporting other women And I always ask these questions when we are on forums like this. How can we get women to understand that? They have a very big role to play in supporting other women because one woman can't say support me I want to run we all want to run who's supporting who? How can we foster that unity of purpose within the women folk because the truth is when the men come together? They don't even need to call on each other. They just show up for each other Why can't we the women have that level of understanding in order for us to achieve what we're looking for? I Think that this is happening in very many spheres Admittedly it is slow to cross carpet into the political space But in a lot of other spaces. I see the coming together of women And it's with a ground swell that is extremely supportive. We see it in fashion. We see it in food in 2016 I believe it was I had a small event called women supporting women and We had we listened to women talk about those who had supported them I'm finding that especially in Management in the corporate world that sort of support Is hard, you know, there are many platforms look at wimby's for instance What is its sole purpose and function to prepare women to better women and to support women? you know and With that in in as if we hold that in one hand then clearly we can cross carpet that to politics Because it isn't an area that is considered Easy And you haven't really heard a lot of voices calling out for this support necessarily We haven't seen the sorts of collaborations and the sorts of coming together that we see across the business world And we see across the corporate world But thank you very much paul's tv because platforms like yours these sorts of programs Bring the idea to the fore and as more people hear as more people are listening Then the same way that we have collaborations across other spheres We will begin to see collaborations here as well But I cannot say enough that women are truly Supporting women. I think the error the idea of cat fighting is in the past And it's not so much just because you're a woman. It is because there are so many seasoned good And ready candidates and so Other like women Throw their weight behind them. Okay when the product is good It will get support. I totally agree. But let's look at some kind of argument about Women being in politics people have said, why do we need Ministry of women affairs? Why do we need women leader that? This are some of the ideas that they are using to pardon my language to set to women to tell women That don't worry by the time we make you a women leader You don't need to be the chairman of the party By the time we make you a minister of women affairs, you don't need to strive to be the president So do you think This narrative should also change and let's look at if a woman is good enough to be the president She doesn't have to be a minister of women affairs It's interesting because as you were speaking to me, I started imagining a man being the minister of women affairs But you know, I mean there are arguments for and against So I hear a lot of of of arguments against quota systems because that's what you're talking about really in it in it In in a very loose sense. It is a quota system Now I mentioned the women the ministry of women affairs right at the beginning because it was necessary at that time when there was such a gap When women needed representation and a voice to say, you know, this This is the way to go right so many years later. We have seen women Across the world, but particularly in Nigeria. We've seen a lot of intelligent capable Smart strong women step into roles outside of the of the role of the minister of women affairs and we've seen So many of them deliver on their mandates. So this may actually be a mute point Yes, a woman can be a minister of women affairs, but a woman can be a president You know, I was talking to a lady a few minutes before this interview An Italian lady who has a a bag a range of bags called Morph and she says that she gave it that name because of the capacity women have Through their careers and through their lifetime to Morph Knowing that we are such excellent multitaskers It is so simple so easy To imagine that if we've done such a tremendous good job at being home engineers Why while balancing a thousand and one other things We can't step into every single possible office in the land and do well at it So while quota systems have played their role There is a stronger argument for me the best person win And underscoring that Women are amongst the best people for the jobs I I want to push a bit further here We like you have said it's happening in other, you know for it's happening in different Spaces other than politics women are breaking the glass ceiling in the corporate world and other places But in the political setting Does society not play a role in the you know Restriction that women the restrictions that women have to face on a daily basis for example The time that the guys fix this meetings for the odd hours of the day And you know the role that the woman plays in a home She needs to put the kids to bed. She's not supposed to be seen out at one or two a.m. Because it's not ladylike How do we break that jinx of society on women who are really interested in getting involved in politics and not just In running for offices what being part of the political system because Just as the men have been able to build a boys club. We need to be able to build a women's club I'm sure you you understand this but how do we break from that cultural and societal jinx that is holding women back So let me go back to this is a really difficult question because Even in the corporate world you find women who are made to work until you know 7 8 9 p.m being unable to fulfill that That aspect of work of work life. Yes, but if I go and if I pull from what you've just said and I take the term How did you coin it the boys club? Yes, so if I take the term the girls club Then if we are focused first and foremost on women supporting women and then pulling the others into that space We don't have to meet at 2 a.m We meet when we can we meet at 4 a.m And if you notice that we have a lot of women who launch right a lot of women who like to unwind By coffee mornings by launching by fellowships by all those kinds of things meeting together We could perhaps adopt this and make part of the conversations About political leadership make part of those conversations when we meet who are we putting forward How many of us are coming together to back this particular candidate? What does this candidate need? Or perhaps another question we could be asking ourselves when we meet for lunch or for coffee mornings is Who are the candidates who are those who are there who are those who are running? Who will run again and who perhaps need our support going forward and then begin to Move from that into perhaps more Of concrete steps to support those who are already playing in that space And then to put forward others who possibly can And garner that support I think it is going to be a lot easier to be honest because I've been thinking as I've been speaking And then what is the things that occurs to me is when you look at technology and what it affords us at the moment It will be easier to bring women together within the parameters of the girls club that you suggest and Make the idea of supporting each other to the end that there is more balanced political leadership become a reality Okay, I I'm still part of this conversation But whichever way I want you to address the issue of stereotypes, you know Where people believe that Oh, what are you doing in joining a political party? You can't be a responsible woman You've talked about changing the time of meetings, you know, and but I want you to speak directly to these policy framers those people will probably put this kind of meeting using the popular language on holy house If they are if they have told us that the women to get involved in their political party, how do we Choose a favorable time. I'm talking practical issues now. I've seen women who are so interested But the timing is not just Giving them the sign that they are welcomed Now, how do we force this hand? Is it possible even to force this hand? You know that these are Systems that have been ingrained, you know To borrow from one of the most popular books in the world. Nicodemus went about by night Right. So under the cover of night deals are made. There's the hand shaking. How do you how do you shift that? Which is why I come back to the suggestion that when there is a groundswell When there are 10 million women meeting at 4 p.m. And when we take When we make take decisions at those times and without us without our Without our vote without our support even for the men you can only go so far The change with those narratives begin to happen But it starts I have to bring us back to the women us working together borrowing again From you Mary Ann the girls club and when the girls club make their decisions and say, you know what? We are not going to put our Finger to the ballot box until such and such happens 35 percent Let's have changes in the times that we meet and most of the nighttime meetings really to my understanding is about deals It's about cutting the deals where you already decide who has won before we get to the ballot box How do we change that we only change that by a groundswell? There's a very interesting book by Aisha. Oh, sorry. I think it's her last name. I recommend that as a read for anyone who is Looking into this arena either as an advocate a supporter or one who wants to run for office And then you understand how by the time day breaks by the time morning comes these decisions are already made So, how do we counter that come together at a time that suits you? And make your own dictates make your own decisions And I mean look at the pictures you've been showing look at the share number of women Surely if we came together at whatever time It was it should count for something and if the voice is singular Irrespective of partisan lines because now we're not talking about what party you belong to We're talking more about blurring the party lines and saying this is what works for women across the board so say come up with a Manifesto 10 decisions 15 decisions for women by women and those who support women And then get signatures Append appendage to these decisions and begin to lobby for some of these decisions to be Adopted as policies within the political parties So there are certainly steps that are practical by which we can achieve a common goal But I say this advisably it has to be a common goal It has to be something that majority of the women sign on to and decide is a good thing for women So I have a small a campaign that is going on at the moment Moments and it's called more women more youth and within that campaign We've come up with a vision statement and At the point where we release the vision statement The idea is to say this Women read through the points within the vision statement. They all speak to More access for women and youth in political leadership And if you agree with the points contained append your signature I'm really glad to have spent some time with you this afternoon because those night time meetings Are not part of the vision statement Also, thank you so much Gemini for your insight I I believe this conversation doesn't end yet. It will be on all our social media platforms except twitter. You remember so The conversation will continue and we will make sure that this conversation is You know integrated into our system Let the political leaders let the people in government age and let women in particular Take note of some of the highlights you've pointed out. Thank you once again for your time Thank you so very much for having me and happy democracy day. Thank you very much Well, let's move on the student union movement in the 20 Uh, I beg your pardon the june 12th struggle is not left out for emancipation in this report Aneta felix speaks to some persons who were student union leaders in 1993 Who are now current leaders of thought her report