Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele has said that women in politics shouldn’t be a battle of masculinity but rather a partnership aimed at a better Nigeria.
Salako-Oyedele made this known while delivering her keynote address at the Nigerian Women Leadership and Empowerment Conference 2025, tagged ‘Women Inclusion in politics: Challenges, Prospects and the way forward’.
The conference organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with Nigerian Women International Magazine, was held at the NAF Conference Center, Abuja on Thursday.
The deputy government stressed that one of the biggest misconceptions about women’s political participation was that it threatened male dominance, noting that countries with higher female representation in parliament such as Iceland and Rwanda tend to have stronger social policies, lower corruption levels, and more inclusive economic growth.
Her words, “if we truly want to build a Nigeria where opportunity is available to all, then we must see women in politics not as competitors or usurpers but as partners in progress.
“The truth is, politics is not a zero-sum game. Increasing women’s representation does not mean taking power away from men, it only means that we create a more balanced and effective government’
“If we truly want to have an inclusive democracy, we must address the challenges women face in politics to includes; structural barriers, where women are placed in parties with little chance of winning, lack of funds; as politics is expensive, cultural and social norms, where women are told to wait for their turn and electoral violence and intimidation.”
Speaking on the solution for greater inclusion, Salako-Oyedele outlined some key strategies such as, pushing for affirmative action in major political parties, sustaining political engagement and not just be an election time activism, making funding for women in politics beyond one off initiative, encouraging male allies in the advocacy movement and ensuring that women position themselves strategically for leadership.
She, however, said that women’s inclusion in politics was not just about fairness, but effectiveness, as societies thrive when women have equal opportunities to lead.
In his remarks, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Tajudeen Abass, said the House shall continue to exercise diligent oversight of government institutions to ensure adherence to the national gender policy, bolster the Women’s Caucus to champion gender specific issues effectively, and support electoral reforms that ensure a fixed quarter of female candidates.
He added that the house would also enable both legislation to safeguard women in politics from violence and intimidation, thereby aligning their political framework with the constitution, principles of fairness and freedom, revealing that he recently requested that All Progressive Congress the all progressive (APC) to include all its female members in the party’s national executive committee, which is first of it kind in the history of the party.
Also speaking, the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on women Affairs and Social Development, Kafilat Ogbara, said the event was organised to discuss issues surrounding women leadership, break barrier and create confidence for future generations, as well as celebrate the strength, resilient and potentials of women across Nigeria.
See women in politics not as competitors – Ogun Dep Gov
