By Yakubu Uba
Yola – The Resident Programme Director of United State based organisation, International Republican Institute (IRI), Mr Sentell Barnes, has pledged the commitment of IRI to encourage more Nigerian women to take active participation in politics.
Barnes made pledged on Monday in Yola while addressing women politicians in a workshop, entitled “Strengthening Women Political Participation in Nigeria”, organised by the institute in collaboration with European Union (EU).
Represented by Husna Hassan, the Resident Programme Officer, Nigeria, Barnes said women needed to participate in key decision making, hence the need to mobilise them to be active in politics.
Barnes said that through active participation in politics, women would address marginalisation and other problems in the country.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) participant in the workshop, Hajiya Amina Usman described the workshop as a welcomed development.
She said she and other participants were taught on how to mobilise women at the grassroots.
Usman expressed optimism that the workshop would further ginger participants to sustain the tempo for more women participation in politics.
The participant said that it was not encouraging that only five women were occupying political office in the current dispensation in Adamawa.
She stressed the need for participation of more women in politics, but urged women to wake up to the challenge of ensuring their active participation in politics.
Also commenting, the Deputy Organising Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mrs Satina Charles, lamented the relegation of women in politics in the country.
Charles, who said that it was high time women took the issue seriously, lauded the organisers of the workshop.
According to her, the workshop has brought women from various political parties together to face a common challenge as a united front.
(NAN)