newsletter octoberissue
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The
DeltaWomenNewsletterOctober Issue
www.deltawomen.org [email protected]
Considering this, it is absolutely imperative that
women be made an integral part of the process
of preventing conicts, and part of democratic
and peacekeeping roles. Although this would
contribute heavily towards protecting women,
the ground reality is that the inclusion of women
in pre and post conict measures has beenignored largely. A UNSC Resolution (Res 1325
in 2000) worked to urge all the member states
to ensure increased representation of women
at all decision-making levels in national, regional
and international institutions and mechanisms
for the prevention, management, and resolution
of conict. Aside of reecting the evident
lack of the involvement of women in dealing
with conict, the resolution also showed signs
of being a proactive initiation of the process.However, the situation a decade since shows
no signs of improvement, or abatement.
Consequently, a recent endeavour was made by
the Security Council, with a host of deliberationsthat discussed the means that may be deployed
World over, women are the greater part of the
segments of society that ee from the scene of
conicts. With most of the men folk taking to the armed
forefronts, women nd themselves being made the
sole breadwinner of their families. Coupled with the
economic considerations, there is always the loomingthreat of sexual violence. Oftentimes, the bodies of
women become the battleground, as combatants and
non-combatants exploit women sexually.
CEOElsie Ijorogu-Reed
Editorial Coordinator
Kirthi Jayakumar
Writers and ContributorsAchilla Imchen, Rohit Kumar and
Stephanie Smith
DesignerMohanad Abdelnabi
Newsletter by Deltawomen NGO.
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to effectively implement Resolution 1325.
The frugal to non-implementation of the
resolution boils down to the question of policy.
The involvement of women in the process of
peace-building and peace-keeping, as also in
the active political trajectory of a state is largely
up to the state itself, and its policies vis-a-vis
women. In most parts of the world, women
nd themselves inadequately equipped and
inadequately represented. Furthermore, in several
post conict regions, women nd themselves in
a situation of fear, and in a situation where they
are placed as sole breadwinners, and thinking
of participation in the political process is far
too distant a proposition. Where the fear factor
goes, most women believe that participation in avociferous political framework might bring them
more harm. This is especially true in the context
of the Democratic Republic of Congo. When
women are forced to be sole breadwinners by
circumstance, they are obligated to put their
families rst. This often makes them want to
reach out to things that would benet their
families more than anything else. Consequently,
these women wind up either voting for leaders
who offer them sops and freebies but no future
plans of empowerment, or wind up staying
outside the political framework in search of a
means of livelihood that could provide for their
families. This is particularly true in DR Congo
and Zimbabwe, and to some extent in Nigeria.
Involving women in the peace process is not
easy, and is certainly not free of obstacles. A
strong commitment is needed from the states
themselves, to determinedly keep its women
safe, and offer them a good social standing.
On the part of the women, as hard as it mightbe, it is necessary that they put all their trust in
themselves, to take a leap of faith.
By Elsie
Nigeria lags far behind in women political
participation on the African continent, with verylow female representation in leadership positions
in national and local political institutions.
Since the 1990s, women activists and groups
in Nigeria have been advocating for increase in
the number of women in the political space. In
recent years, notably in the last decade, it would
seem that some improvement has been made
in this area. After the 2007 elections, data from
the National Centre for Women Developmentshowed that there were 9 female senators,
compared to 4 in 2003. The
proportion of seats held
by women in the National
Parliament also increased
from 3.1 per cent in 2000 to
7.5 per cent in 2008.
Measures have been
established to promote gender parity in the
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Gender in Political
Representation
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countrys political participation. A national
gender policy was formulated to promote a 35%
afrmative action for women in political space (a
policy that demands 35 percent involvement of
women in all governance processes). After the
2007 general elections, for the rst time, Nigerian
women were elected to posts of Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Head of the Civil
Service of the Federation, Ministers and otherkey ofces.
Nigerian women, however, still have a long way
to go not only in national elective politics, but
also in representation at sub-national and local
elected positions, such as school management
committees. Data from the 2011 general election
show that regression is possible in the positive
inroads already made. For example, in the 2011
election, female candidates fared poorly, with
only 32 women elected to the national parliament
out of 469 members. Data from the election
suggests that in all political parties, few women
were elected to contest seats, and women who
were selected were given seats that were hard
to win.
The systemic disparity in political participation
needs to be considered in the context of the
larger patriarchal Nigerian society, wherewomen do not often receive the mentoring and
support they need to compete with their male
counterparts. While the constitutions of most
parties commit to gender afrmative action,
few have met the 35% target. At a macro level,
Nigeria has signed up to most of the global
agreements on gender equality, but have yet to
translate those commitments into action on the
ground.
By Achilla
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Democracy is a system of government by the
whole population or all the eligible members of a
state, typically through elected representatives.
But the conundrum is, will democracy be good
for womens rights? The answer is yes. Womens
contribution is vital to building successful
democracies and thriving societies in developing
states, not only in Africa, but in the whole
world. In all discussions of democratization, thequestion of women crops up.
Social and political movements gaining
momentum in the North Africa in early 2012
appear to be opening the door for democracy;
initially progressive revolutions do not often result
in sustained improvements for womens rights.
While Egyptian women have been crucial in the
revolutions that have shattered the status quo,
their role in the future development of their owncountries remains unclear. In Tunisia, the fear was
that women will be sucked into an ideological
and religious tug-of-war over their rights,
reducing the complexities of democratization
into a binary secular/non-secular battle.
Across the African region, and from the streets
to ofcial decision-making spaces, there is a
resounding call for new overarching political
frameworks in which to women engagementand make decisions about their collective lives,
more recent winds of change seem to be blowing
in a favorable direction for Tunisian women.
The commission responsible for planning the
elections has voted for parity between men and
women on the candidate lists the rst step in
establishing a clear-cut role for women in building
a government and constitution The radical move
to guarantee womens 50% representation in
Tunisias politics is a fresh kind of revolution forwomen in Africa.
By Rohit Kumar
Women and
democracy
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Campaign Round Up
NO WOMAN LEFT BEHIND
At Delta women NGO, we see ourselves as a partner for progress to our women. We work with
them to discover their unique abilities, talents and potentials. Our drive is to build in our women
the essential skills required to do business in a world class way, making them creators of their owndestiny and pillars of transformation in our society. The NO WOMAN LEFT BEHIND campaign
needs YOUR support. Help Deltawomen by providing women the Technical and Vocational Skills
Acquisition to overcome the challenges in todays world so that they can be useful to themselves
rather than be used as agents of violence.
Medical supplies were donated to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in St Patricks College,Asaba Delta State. The NGO was represented by the CEO, Mrs Elsie Ijorogu-Reed at the Regional
Dialogue on Renewably Energy Technology for Increased Agricultural Productivity and Sustainable
Development in Abuja, Nigeria. A platform that showed promises for a bright future. Within the same
month, Okuijorogu was agog as the CEO and her team stormed the community. It will be recalled
that Okuijorogu community in Okpe Local Government Council of Delta state is totally left out in the
sheme of educational activities, which was the reason the team visited. After a brief meeting with
the Elders as regards their request for a school which the NGO is at the fore front, Mrs Reed did
not leave it there, as she also dished out Notes books, Pencils and Biro to the community children.
More so, the NGOs team visited Ugba Primary School, Onicha-Olona in Aniocha North Local
Government Council still in Delta state. However, the dilapidated picture posted on the internetneccessitated the visit, to see how the NGO could help the community in making the school a
standard one.
FREE EYE TEST
The Deltawomen Eye-Care Campaign in the Delta State serves to provide free glasses and eye
check-ups. Our upcoming free eye test is going to be held on the 29th of December in Igbanke,
Edo State, Nigeria.
WELCOME, NEW VOLUNTEERS
Deltawomen welcomes 10 new volunteers, who join our team this month to work on our various
projects.
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