 All right, welcome back. It's still the breakfast on Plus TV Africa. We're looking at something different here right now. A bill for a knack to make provisions for the empowerment of women and gender equality to establish a legislative framework for the women. Divided law make has been plenary after being read for the second time on Wednesday. Now some law make has are of the opinion that some sections in aspect of the law and its implementation conflict with the belief of some groups in the country. We have joining us right now, Barista Rita Elevare. She's joining us from Iqiti, and she will be looking at this issue with us. Good morning to you, Barista Elevare. Thank you, good morning. Thank you for having me on this show. All right, it seems as though this particular issue may not be seen the green light after all. This is like the second time the Senate has actually pushed it away. It happened also with the H Assembly. And right now, it costs a bit of an opera yesterday at Plena where some law make has been divided over this particular issue. You know, one of the issues stems from the fact that some section of the country are not really in tune with this. So would you say if I have to put it this way that the issue of religion, you know, actually hampers women from getting, you know, to their ultimate or to their optimum? Well, to put the record straight, this is actually the third time, not the second time. The bill came up in the Seventh Assembly, the Eighth Assembly, and now again. I will not really say that, of course, we have a lot of religious and cultural practices that hindered the growth and development of European on the right of the way. But religion itself, it depends on the way we practice religion. It is uniquely sure that we give to religion that that's the face that religion projects. I would just say that in the New Guinea and all gender advocates and all women, the here for she, Nigeria, we are not deterred. It took 14 years for us to get the violence against prohibition and to become law in Nigeria. It is just for us to go back to the drawing board and restrategize. When you say you're going back to the drawing board to restrategize, what exactly do you think you can do differently? Like you have rightly said, this is the third time in a series that this particular bill has been rejected. Is it that it is not really important for the nation? It is very, very important for the nation. A series of studies have established that for sustainable development, we men and men, boys and girls, we have to come to the development table. And this law in Nigeria in particular, we have so many hindrances ranging from social cultural practices, religious practices, even some of our laws are discriminating. So the importance of this law cannot be over-emphasized. It is very, very important. But like I said before, we keep pushing and we will also not forget the very importance leave no one behind. And we all, you can see the mantra of the SDG who consents widely and see what we can do to also ensure that the bill eventually see the light of the day who consents by the more sensitization. And it is a sad one, but it is not the end of the road. Like I said, it's an opportunity for us to look forward and see those things we can do better. Probably those who are not so comfortable with this bill, they do not understand what this bill is all about. Remember series of challenges like this crop up when the child's right law was going there for the advocacy for child's right being to become a law in Nigeria. Even the violence against the judicial persons are more sad today now. Almost 32 states have came into the back of the act. So it is not a journey of the day, but we keep progressing. All right, let's also ask you now the fact that you actually advocate for women's involvement in the different sphere of our endeavor in Nigeria. How would you rate women's representation in politics and in all that endeavors in Nigeria? Hello, I think I get that, can you call me again? So I say that for one, I mean, you are someone who's been advocating women inclusiveness in governance amongst others. The question is, how would you rate, how would you measure women's inclusiveness or involvement in governance in Nigeria? The inclusiveness is still at a very, very, it's still very, very low in Nigeria. You can't believe that in this time at age, there are some states of house of assembly that we have no woman, not even a single woman at the state house of assembly. But by and large, I think the consciousness is very high now. For me, that is to say a lot of women are conscious and they are being jello. They are undergo series of training, interaction, sensitization. And I think in the next session that we will see a lot of women coming on board into political space and decision making. It is very, very unfortunate that this attempt to ensure that we have enough to really back up this aspect and covering that as it may. Like I said, sensitization and consulting why we continue to sensitize, we continue to engage. But there's no doubt about the fact that where we are in Nigeria, women in public places and in political spaces and decision making is still very, very low. We really need to do better in Nigeria. And like we say, if women can't even get this come into governance through a native position, actually we can have women mainstream into places of governance, into decision making. By appointment, I take, for example, in Nekiti State, now there are really a lot of appointments deliberately making women to come into political, into decision making space. Like the Ministry of Justice in Nekiti State, when this President, Attorney General, Honorable Amber Gryffa Conda SA, came to become the Honorable Attorney General. They may know a lot of women at the directorate level. What the Attorney General did was to ensure that a lot of women were giving specific assignments and appointments, making them essays and all that. And that even though this women by the kingdom of civil service, they were not yet directorates kingdom, but because they were essay to be general on one post for you on the other. They were now into the decision making cater of the Ministry of Justice. And that's what the more essence of gender mainstream is all about. So whether law or no law, we can say that the political will decide to ensure that it deliberate attendees make a practice and create text to ensure that women come into decision making position, whether by a letter, by appointment, it just has to be a conscious effort. And I want to say that yes, the law is very, very good, but we should not also forget that the law is not an end in itself. Why? We are still pushing to get the law. We still need to ensure that the minds, people shift their mindset, people get to understand that what we are talking about is not about women in competition, but that we may have potential that needs to be harnessed together for the good of the society or the development of the society and for the benefit of all. All right, it's good that you have mentioned that because I was wondering that if we actually as a country need a law to ensure that women get their rightful places in the cause of things, because there's been so much talk, there's this 75% affirmative action. You know, a school of thought even believes that women are better economic managers. If we know all of this, would you say that women are actually pushing themselves for that they supporting each other? Is that like a forum? You know, they have to ensure that their voice or their voices are heard as one in the play of things in Nigeria. Of course, women are supporting each other. The umbrella body of Women Group in Nigeria is the National Council for Women's Society. It's made up of all women groups. Of course, you have the International Federation of Women Lawyers. You have now watched that we aim for women journalists. You have the Medical Women Association and so on and so forth. Women have been able to organize themselves at different forums, be it local government, be it state and be it national. But the mother body of all women organizations in Nigeria is the National Council for Women's Society. And the beautiful thing about the National Council for Women's Society is that the council is not leaving any women behind. The comprises of women who are educated, rural women, every organization that is women focused that is women inclined are all members of National Council for Women's Society. It is at this level, collectively and in the national forum that we may organize, we may sensitize and engage. But beyond the National Council, we have some women who, like I mentioned, the International Federation of Women Lawyers, who is also in the forefront and so many other organizations. Beyond all this, we also have a governmental organization that is doing very, very well in different aspects of ensuring that women come to the forum. It is just a conspiracy of the society that says that women are not supporting themselves. Women are supporting themselves. It is just a creation of the society to further divide women and say, women do not support themselves. If you have been following our neighbor and wife of Governor of the United States, if you have read our book, the rapper, women have been rappers to themselves from ages, right from our great, great ground, from sight in the morgue. Our society reinvented the wheel and tried to say that women does not support themselves. If we don't support ourselves, who are we going to be supporting? Women support themselves. Women support their husbands. Women support their children. Women support their brother. Women support everybody. And that's why people are saying that when you empower a woman, you are actually empowering a nation. Because a woman, when a woman is in a position of authority or when a woman has any ability, any skills, anything that a woman has, a woman thinks of everybody. Okay, so I really don't know how far we have fed. You have mentioned in the course of this discourse that women's representation in a point of office inclusion in election, what have you, is not fair. So about 25 years after signing, being part of that declaration and saying we're going to have 35%, I don't know how much we have worked all of the groups and bodies advocating for women's inclusion. How far we have ensured that that law is implemented because it feels like it's a problem of implementation? I'd also like to ask you, how far do you think that this current administration has done in terms of giving women that position and governance? I mean, for instance, you would remember that the president made that promise during his campaign that 40% would be given to, he would allocate 40% to women, appointment of women in his cabinet. So what are your thoughts on that? My thoughts is that this president administration can actually do better. Of course, we have pockets of appointment of women here and there. It is not enough. I don't know the statistics so that I don't go and say what it is. But just looking around, many times we are looking at women who have come to decision making and governance in this administration. I personally believe that this administration can do better. All right, just before we go, I just want to put one question very quickly. Let me just try and squeeze that in. So over time now, how soon do you think we can get from this place of Africa or Nigeria, specifically being a patriarchal society to a place where we might have a female governor or maybe a person sometime soon? It's not something that we can put a title into one. So we do not have the required legislation to back that up. But one thing that is certain that it is nearer, it is nearer than we think. We are not where we want to be, but we are not exactly where we started from. Like I said, the consciousness is very, very high. Like, you know, the political activities are getting up and it is taking up. Already about seven women have indicated their interest by for the governorship position. We have not seen it like that before. Seven women, and we are still counting. So we are getting nearer. I know that soon and I will be expecting we are going to have a female governor or who knows, even a female president. All right, we'll keep our fingers crossed and I expect her to see that very soon. A very big thank you to you, Rita, She is a lawyer, agenda advocate and coordinator at the sexual awareness referral center. Many thanks for your thought and your opinion on the show this morning. Well, it's been an amazing coming. Sexual assaults, referendums, action. All right, sexual assault. Thanks for the correction. All right, would you appreciate your time so much, sir? Well, that's the much we can actually take. But you know, on the other hand, I'm just wondering, we constantly say we want to have a female president and governor. That can happen until we begin to implement the little agreement that we were part of over 25 years ago. We haven't seen, you know, 35% affirmation. And then we're looking forward to having... I want to see you as a governor very soon, from your state. Thanks for my fingers crossed. That's the size of the show for today. My name is Justin Acadone. And I am Merciable for, if you missed out on any part of the conversation, it's all right to follow us on Facebook and of course, Instagram is at Plus TV Africa. And on YouTube, do subscribe as a Plus TV Africa lifestyle. Do have a wonderful morning. Madam governor, bye for now.