Turning Walls into Bridges

Turning Walls into Bridges

2018 was a remarkable year to increase advocacy
towards the full implementation of 35% affirmation
action. Thanks to the United Nations Funds for Gender
Equality which supported activities advocating the full
implementation of 35% affirmative action from 2016
through 2019 in South East Nigeria. Alliances for Africa
team remained active in implementing the activities in
view of the upcoming 2019 general elections and
considering the downward representation of women in
political and decision-making spaces. As at June 2018,
women make 5.6% members of the House of
Representatives and 6.5% members of the House of
Senate. In the year 2018, Alliances for Africa diversified
and intensified advocacy to get more women in
leadership and decision making spaces as stated in the
National Gender Policy (NGP 2006) which supports 35%
representation of women in all political leadership
spaces across Nigeria.

On the movement, Alliances for Africa engaged
partners and allies. Media practitioners, Civil Society
Organizations (CSOs), community groups, political party
leaders, people with disability, traditional rulers,
religious leaders, Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), students from various tertiary
institutions and young women joined the on-going
advocacy to achieve the full implementation of 35%
representation of women in leadership spaces across
the South East.
From community to state and regional level, the
advocacy towards increasing women’s participation in
politics had resulted in tremendous success. Alliances
for Africa recorded 14 appointed/elected women in
political leadership spaces and a total of 24 female
aspirants to vie for elective positions in 2019 elections
At this crucial point of approaching 2019 elections, it is
important that advocates for women inclusion in
leadership shift their attention from the problem itself
to taking actions that influence change through
Partnership and collaboration. We get greater result
when we work together to improve the lives of women
and girls across Nigeria.
Maureen Iheajato.
Board Chair