by lduozee Paul, Benin Correspondent
The Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA), has frowned at political parties that did not field female
candidates for the fast approaching 2019 general elections.
The group led by the former commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development in Edo State, Hon. Florence lgbinigie expressed the body’s displeasure to the Edo state NUJ when it came to present a communiqué, on the 16 Days Activism Against Gender based Violence, with the theme, “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work.”
Hon Igbinigie said women shouldstand up against injustice.
According to her, the forum gave room for participants, spanning various organizationsto join the rest of the world to call for discontinuation of the culture ofimpunity, silence and stigmatization of survivors of gender- basedviolence.”
“The coalition was outraged by the high incidence of violence against women, especially, the
physical and sexual violence. Violence against women can be emotional, psychological, political and economical,” the former commissioner explained.
The NCAA leader said, “it was an opportunity to call for massive campaign to all women organizations and groups to get involved in politics, to ensure that their households vote at elections because voting is a veritable tool for change..”
She called for violence free elections.
“We call for violence-free electionin the forth-coming general elections, and frown at political
parties who refuse to field femalecandidates and call on all to vote for female candidates.”
“Mothers are advised to be vigilantand to ensure their children, biological or not, are protected against allforms of abuse, violence and exploitation”.
The coalition insisted that violence against womenis not a private or family plight, and that the
solution must be proffered by dealingwith all the social, cultural and economic factors, noting that the event was an opportunity to call on government atvarious levels and lawmakers to adopt the
vital laws like violence against personstrafficking prohibition, and pass the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill presentlybefore the Edo State House of Assembly into law.
Responding to the group , the NUJ boss,Comrade Roland Osakwe, lamented that since the inception of the nation’s independence women have not held significant electiveoffices compare to most advanced countries in the world.
Osakwe said most of the dangers thatoverwhelm women are caused by them. He said women are
seen in unwanted areas which often posemore harm to their living. He assured the various NGOs/CSOs who visited his officethat the media will spread their news to the general public.
He said that NUJ does not discriminate against women and stressed that womenshould
caution themselves not to be seen inharmful areas that would cause hazard to them.
He said women should try andorganize themselves to enable women run for viable
positions in Nigeria.
