TheCable

Nonye Soludo, wife of Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra state, says the national gender policy needs a broader review to promote women participation in politics.

In a statement on Friday by Daniel Ezeigwe, her media aide, Nonye described the performance of female candidates in the general election as “unsatisfactory”.

The governor’s wife lamented a recent report which showed that 96 percent of women who contested in the elections lost to their male counterparts.

Nonye said considering the great role women have played in the socio-political development of Nigeria, it was pertinent to make the country’s overall political framework friendly to them.

She added that there is an urgent need to review the national gender policy and similar initiatives to give women a strong legal backing and encourage them to take part in politics.

She argued that it would be impractical to talk about women’s involvement in politics if obvious political and social impediments were not removed.

Nonye also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to come up with incentives that would encourage women to take part in political contests, including cutting down the cost of nomination forms for women.

She congratulated women who won in the 2023 elections and enjoined them to use their positions to influence positive change.