Nigerian Women Want Equal Opportunity With Men – Stella Oduah

Stella Oduah has come out to say Nigeria has still not maximized women potential and contributions in national development.

She commented that the level of women participation in politics and appointment into positions was still not high enough, and urged that more women should be given chance or supported for elective and appointive positions.

“You lose their strength, their brilliance, their contributions and you their participation, just because by accident of birth, they are female.

“If we are 170 million and 60 per cent are females, and you are not allowing involvement of your total population, it means that you are using half of your strength. Should that be?

“The women have to come and beg for 35 per cent, and that is what I don’t understand, because how can I be 60 per cent and I am begging you for 35 per cent of what doesn’t belong to you?

“I don’t understand it. For me, it is male conspiracy.

“I think the male folks have looked at their inadequacy, their incapacity and their lack of strength, and decided that if they allow this group of giants (women) to participate, then they are going to be in trouble.

“So, they came together and decided we must not allow the women, otherwise they will send us out of this system,’’ she said.

“If you are a woman and you are leader, you are `women leader’. If you are a man and you are a leader, you are addressed as `leader’; it is not fair, it is unjust.

“If a female newscaster is good, she is good, not female newscaster, but if a female politician is good, she is a female politician. That is the box we want to remove.’’

“When that happens, the best of the women will emerge; women and men will vote for the female not because she is a female but because she is the right candidate for that job.

“Women are saying give us equal opportunity, give us equal right.’’