WOMEN AND CHILDREN

You will agree with me that women at various levels in some part of the world suffer discrimination and dis-empowerment throughout their lives and that has great impacts on the lives of the children.Gender equality and well being of children go hand in hand and gender equality furthers the cause of survival and development.Below are some benefits of Gender equality.

• Gender equality produces a double dividend:It benefits both women and children.where we have healthy,educated and empowered.Women who are empowered have healthy educated and confident daughters and sons.
• Gender equality will not only empower women to overcome poverty and live full and productive lives,but it will better the lives of children,families and countries as well.

Women's equal rights and influence in the key decisions that shape their lives and those of children must be enhanced in three distinct areas:the household,the workplace and political sphere.A change for the better in any one of these realms influences women's equality in the others,and has a profound and positive impacts on child's well-being and development.
Gender equality is not only morally right,it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development and in achieving Millennium Development Goal number-3-promoting gender equality and empowering women-will also contribute to achieving all the other goals,from reducing poverty and hunger to saving children's lives,improving maternal health,ensuring universal education,,malaria and other diseases,and ensuring environmental sustainability.

THE OBJECTIVES OF WOCAP

OBJECTIVES OF WOCAP.

·         To mobilize strong social support for increased women participation as a matter of  social justice and inclusiveness .

·         Breaking down barriers to women  effective political participation and decision making in Nigeria.

·         Faith based  approach and knowledge of socio political construct of Northern Nigeria.

THE ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES:

                In most countries women are only elected to the legislatures if they run on a political party’s ticket .Real  change can only happen if women in political parties organize and demand more opportunities. There is therefore need for women to serve in the leadership of political parties and be incorporated into executive committees.

THE  QUESTIONS ARE ?

·         Can  democracy  transform power relations between women and men?

·         Should a countrys democratic credentials be judged by its record or gender equality?

·         How can gender equality transform the face of democracy?

·         Can a Nation be described democratic ,if there are no equal participation and representation of women and men as  and where democratic decisions a taken?

·         Is it really democracy if at least half of the population is not represented to input their practical needs and strategic interests?

·         Would it make a difference if the female candidates are given equal supports and effective media coverage during the campaigns?

PLEASE  JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION.

A Woman's Case for Democracy.

We have heard and seen various organization advocate for democracy as a better form of governance where every citizen stands a chance to enjoy the achievements of his state. But the reality of democracy in Nigeria(with specific reference to the North-eastern region) does not prove democracy as such. the reality has been that we get allocations for educations but no libraries, no teachers. We have allocations for health but no drugs and no doctors etc. Our system of doing things have failed us but we still stick to our old ways.It has been said that one cannot expect change or success when one continues to do things the same way year after years but in north-eastern Nigeria, we want progress and change but we don't seem to want to modify our beliefs and system of life to match the current challenges that we face. 

When i speak of change, i do not mean a total transformation of a way of life but i speak of an upgrade in the way we do our things. We definitely do not want to make farmers doctors, for then we all will be healthy but hungry neither do we want to make everybody an engineer for we may have all the technology we need but no one to teach the kids how to carry on our legacy. It is time for the north-eastern region to be a model to other state. Let our farmers do their work excellently and our doctors too. let our teachers be industrious and our engineers proactive. then we would be headed for real transformation in our economic condition. 

You may wonder how i propose we achieve this.

My proposal is simple: Years of democratic rule headed by respectable and honorable men have failed in this region.We are still the poorest region in Nigeria and we are faced with ever increasing violence and consequent decline in male populace. Let us give the women a chance and see how they can run affairs and if they can through their sympathy for humanity bring about a well rounded dividend of democracy to all people, then everybody will be industrious in his field of engagement and we would see teachers who really teach and not talk, doctors who really cure not just prescribe and engineers who really innovate and not just repair.

A woman is capable of more than just producing children!

I am not ignorant of people who would stand behind religious shields to deny women a chance to be involved in partisan politics however, 

the Koran contains verses that may be interpreted to permit or support the role of women in politics, such as its mention of the Queen of Sheba without ever negating the validity of her role as a leader. Verse 33:53 of the Holy Book also advocates all genders to contribute morality for the good of the public. Furthermore, the Hadith provides numerous examples of women having public leadership roles. Aisha Abu Bakr, one of the Holy prophet's wives, often accompanied the Prophet to battles, even leading an army at the Battle of Camel.
I advocate for the  inclusion of women in political life, if we ever want to see the transformation of our beloved State and the region as a whole.I advocate for democracy but real democracy comes from giving everyone a chance to be involved and women want to be involved. Let me hear your comments!

I am a professional nurse and also a development worker and also a a partisan politician,I am 42yrs old and my passion for helping people has brought me to where i am today.The desire to join politics is also inspired by great women have made marks in the sand of time.Join me in me to make a change for women in Africa,Nigeria and my state particularly where i come from.