Former President Olusegun Obasanjo have charged millions of Nigerian women to fight for their economic and political relevance instead of being pushed to 'the other room.'
Chief Obasanjo
While spesking on the topic, ‘My understanding of women aspiration in business and politics’ at an event on Friday in Ibadan, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, charged Nigerian women to fight for their political and economic relevance instead of accepting to be confined to the other room.
According to PUNCH, the former president who spoke at the event organised in support of women’s participation in government, political processes and the work place, said it was a huge shame that no woman was among the 50 people that drew the Nigerian constitution.
Obasanjo who encouraged women to join politics by ensuring that nine women were chosen to serve in his cabinet when he was the president, pointed out that Nigeria was ranked far below South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Mauritania among countries that encouraged women in politics.
He said, “No longer should our women allow themselves to be consigned only to the ‘other room’ and the kitchen. In 2017, according to the United Nations, gender inequality cost Africa $95bn.
"That is tremendous waste. We cannot continue heaping up waste and expect that we will not maintain our poor record of being the world’s poverty headquarters. The starting point is girl child education. Child marriage must be made unlawful.”
He said women should make definite efforts to fight for their place in politics and economy, as women and children are usually the direct and indirect victims of poor leadership. He said men would not relinquish their position willingly.