Midnight Political Meetings, Major Discrimination Against Women – Falana

The choice of midnight for most strategic political meetings has been identified as one of the ways women are discriminated against in politics.

Lagos Lawyer and gender activist, Mrs Funmi Falana made this assertion during her annual Christmas party with the children of Erelu Angela Adebayo Children’s Home in Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Food items like pasta, noodles, bottled water, soft drinks, bar soap, detergent among others were donated to the children.

The legal practitioner who decried the way politics is played in Nigeria said, “Most of their meetings are held in the night, nocturnal meeting like nocturnal animals and responsible women are supposed to be with their families at such time.

Falana who is the founder of the Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) also attributed low participation of women in politics to non actualization of the 35 percent affirmative action for women representation in positions of authority.

“This is one of the discrimination against women that we have been advocating against.

“Even when women come out to contest elections, they receive little or no votes, because they believe their place is in the kitchen but that era had since past, women can even do better than men in any position of authority even non political positions”.

“The inability of women to attend such night political meetings ensures that decisions are taken behind them and it is part of the reasons they are not participate actively in politics and I think politicians should look into this”.

She therefore called on the political class to accord women their rightful place in the present political arrangements.

Mrs Falana, who noted that women are not being given much leadership opportunities in the country’s political space said such trend must be reversed in the 2023 general election.

Falana said discrimination against women in politics has to stop now for them to be able use their potential to develop the society.

Reinforcing the 35 percent affirmative action for women, Mrs Falana revealed that her NGO WELA and 20 other NGOs had gone to court to challenge the non-implementation of the policy.

According to her, “The constitution specifically says that, nobody shall be discriminated against on the basis of sex. So, anything that places women at a disadvantaged position is unconstitutional and it is null and void.

“The court held that the fact that women are not given property representation in governance is a violation of their right under the constitution of Nigeria”.