Amid political attempts to silence women in Nigeria’s public sphere, Peter Obi, 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, has used International Women’s Day to spotlight women as the “backbone of our society.”
In a powerful X post tied to this year’s theme, “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” Obi praised the resilience of women like Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who, despite electoral victories, face relentless discrimination and hostility.
He stressed that Nigeria’s progress depends on empowering women and ensuring their voices shape the nation’s future.
Obi painted a sobering picture of the challenges Nigerian women face, particularly those trapped in poverty with limited access to healthcare and education.
He highlighted the alarming statistics: among millions of out-of-school children, girls form the majority, while women also bear the brunt of rising insecurity through violence and abductions.
Despite their resilience and contributions to society, Obi noted, women hold just 6% of leadership roles in the private sector, and their political representation has plummeted to a new low following the 2023 elections.
For Obi, these figures reflect a systemic failure to recognize women’s vital role in national development.
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He pointed to trailblazing women like Senators Ireti Kingibe and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as embodiments of both progress and struggle.
Though they secured electoral victories, Obi observed that these women continue to face “the harshest forms of discrimination and hostility” in Nigeria’s public sphere.
He described a political system that “actively works to push them out,” underscoring that without deliberate intervention, women will remain sidelined.
Obi’s definition of women emerges not just as survivors, but as tenacious leaders whose potential is stifled by a resistant society.
To address these disparities, Obi called for bold action: a minimum of 25% representation for women in all decision-making bodies across government and the corporate world, enforced through affirmative action.
He also advocated for aggressive investment in girl-child education, especially in educationally disadvantaged areas, as a cornerstone for dismantling inequality.
Obi further said, empowering women is not optional but essential, as they play a “critical role in family and national development.”
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