Governor Bello of Kogi State

Kogi State Government on Thursday said it had concluded plans to domesticate the United Nations Council Resolution (UNCSCR 1325) on peace and security for women and children.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Bolanle Amupitan, made this known at a “Gender Sensitive Coverage’’ workshop for journalists, in Lokoja.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Amupitan said that the document would be launched on Thursday, adding that it would be an advocacy tool for women’s full participation in various aspects of the society.

“The document will also enhance women’s representation in peace-making, peace-building, decision-making, governance and all matters relating to women development.

“We are all aware that women do not have their fair share of political patronage in spite of their numerical advantage.

“This is apparently due to their ignorance as well as the media which have not done enough to balance the report.

“Awareness creation on the benefits of women active participation and adequate representation in policy formulation and in politics generally will enhance their roles in governance.

“This should therefore be a forum where gender image publicity would be addressed,” she said.

Amupitan, however, said that the role and active participation of the media was decidedly important in the quest to reposition women in the scheme of things.

In his remarks, Prof. James Apam, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi, said that the commission was working towards mainstreaming women participation in politics.

Apam said that there was need to go beyond making policies and laws on women participation in politics in the country, to making it a culture.

He said that the difference was that when it became a culture for the nation to have a place politically for women, “naturally women will grow’’.

He urged Nigerians to change their political culture and imbibe the habit of mainstreaming women as part of the political culture.

According to the REC, to achieve this, the media will have to play a key role in channelling the course for women in politics.

He urged the media to take up the challenge, adding that with increased campaigns and advocacies around issues of women in politics, the narratives would change.

Ms Idayat Hassan, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), said that the training was organised to address topmost issues on women participation in politics.

Hassan said that as the 2019 elections approached, there was need for stakeholders, especially the media, to begin to support women in politics to enhance their participation.

According to her, there need to enhance women representation in political offices and prioritise them so as to see more women in politics. I