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The United Nations Women and Canada, in collaboration with Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN), have sensitised Muslim women in ‘purdah’ (secluded women) on need to participate in election.
The awareness programme took place at the FOMWAN Hall on Thursday in Ilorin.
Hajia Jemila Ariori, the state Coordinator for South West on Election and Good Governance, Gender and Human Right of the group, said the aim of the meeting was to sensitise women to support the election process.
Ariori said that the UN support peaceful election in Nigeria and mobilise women, especially women in purdah, to participate in elections and be assured of their safety during the period.
The coordinator said that many women did not know their right, therefore there was need to sensitise them and explain reasons why they should exercise their civic rights.
“We were at Osun, Oyo and Ekiti States during the 2015 election period to sensitise them and many of them participated in the exercise.
“This year’s programme has approved three states; Kwara, Borno and Kaduna, to sensitise the women on the importance of participating in national programmes like election, census and the likes,” she said.
Hajia Bilqees Oladimeji, a Resource Person from Head of Centre, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, called for effective turnout of women during elections, towards effecting the expected change.
Oladimeji urged Muslim women to consider their knowledge of Islam, in the aspect of contributing towards a better society, to support women developmental issues, like increasing women participation in politics.
She also urged women to support their fellow women, Muslim candidates and other good candidates contesting for various political positions in order to make the country a better place.
One of the participants, Hajiya Fasilat Oladipo, a teacher, described women participation in politics as a strong weapon for politicians, considering the number of females to males in Nigeria.
Oladipo said that many Muslim women always have nonchalant attitude towards politics, which she said contributed to the challenges in the country.
The participants commended the organisers of the programme, saying that it is a welcome development and urged them to continue educating more women on the need to participate in national activities.
NAN reports that FOMWAN is an umbrella body of all Muslim women associations in Nigeria with branches across the 36 states, including FCT-Abuja.
The association in the past decades had been actively involved in civic education and election observers across the federation.
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