2023 polls: Soludo’s wife seeks review of national gender policy over female candidates’ ‘poor’ outing

Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Mrs Nonye Soludo has called for a broader review of the national gender policy and supporting bills to give better room for the involvement of women in political representation in Nigeria.

Mrs Soludo made the statement in Awka while assessing the performance of female candidates that vied for different representative positions in the just-concluded elections.

The governor’s wife’s remarks are coming after a recent review revealed that ninety-six per cent of women who contested in the 2023 general election lost to their male counterparts.

The review which was conducted by a leading national daily, disclosed that a total of 1,553 women were on the ballot for the presidential, governorship, national and state assemblies’ elections held on February 25 and March 18, 2023.

However, out of a total of 15,307 candidates who contested under the 18 registered political parties during the 2023 general elections, males constituted 13,754, which represented 89.8 per cent while the 1,553 female candidates represented 10.1 per cent.

It further revealed that analysis of the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that only 72 women got elected at federal and state levels, while 1,487 lost.

Describing the results as unsatisfactory, considering the great role women have played in the socio-political development of Nigeria, Mrs Soludo said it has become pertinent to make the country’s overall political framework friendly to women.

The Anambra Governor’s wife explained that it is time to review the National Gender Policy and similar initiatives, with the aim of giving them strong legal backing to give women better support and encourage them to take part in politics.

She noted that it would be impractical to talk about women involvement in politics if obvious political and social impediments are not removed.

The Anambra First Lady also called on INEC to come up with incentives that would encourage women to take part in political contests, including cutting down on the cost of purchasing forms for women.

While congratulating the women who won in the elections, Mrs Soludo asked them to serve with the kind of humaneness, compassion and vision that women are known for, and remember to use their positions to affect the lives of other women.

By Daniel Ezeigwe