Senior Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has reacted to the discourse on gender imbalance in public appointments in Nigeria.
Orelope-Adefulire who talked to New Dawn after casting her vote at her Egbeda poling unit in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, commented on the just concluded International Women’s Day 2019 having the theme: #BalanceForBetter.
The Presidential aide said, “Elective offices cannot be used to determine gender balance.”
Confirming that women are not many in elective positions in Nigeria, she said the system can make up for women in other appointments. “We know of the setback confronting women and we know that they are not many in elective offices. But we can also have them in appointments in order to balance things up,” she said.
Stating further, she said, “Women can be members of boards of parastatals, they can become members of the cabinet in states and Local Government Areas. We can bridge the gap in such a way that the short fall of women participation can be augmented when they are appointed to serve in various offices.”
Orelope-Adefulire who was a former deputy governor in Lagos State argued further that, “It is still very early to say there is no gender balance. It might not be 50/50 for now but there must be equity. Equity is fairness. They will treat the women fairly and there will be gender balance.
“The gender balance we are talking about cannot be 50/50 at this level for now because I don’t like to deceive myself but if we can have the affirmative action of 35%, then we are making progress,” she concluded, urging women to be available to participate in the electoral process.
