Women in Decision making The 2006 women day is being celebrated all over the world today March 8th. This is a significant day in the lives of all women allover the world especially as women are being marginalised in all aspects of lives especially when it comes to governance. LEDAP and other non-governmental organisations working in this area met at LEDAP office on Ikorodu Road, Lagos South west Nigeria to have a chat with the media on 'saying no to domestic violence' which is a major limitation on women issues and also to encourage the passing of the 'Domestic Bill' that is already presented to the Lagos State House of Assembly.This was followed up with a rally on Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.

Posted on: March 8, 2006

Support Domestic Violence Bill Members of the Committee on the Women's Affairs of the Lagos State Assembly,South West Nigeria has been urged to provide sustainable and efficient remedy to victims of family abuse in Lagos State, by passing the Domestic Violnce and other Related Matters Bill in the current legislative year. So far the law has been enacted in Ebonyi and Cross River State in South South Nigeria. This call by Chinoye Obiagwu of Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP)followed a recent rejection by the House of a report of the public hearing on the Bill presented by the Chair of its Committee, Mrs Funmi Smith-Tejuoso. According to Obiagwu 'over four years now, LEDAP and its members have worked relentlessly through capacity building programmes, social and legislative advocacy and awareness building actions in twelve states to ensure that adequate legal framework for the protection of women and other vulnerable persons from violence at home and also to encourage victims seek remedies under the law is put in place"

Posted on: 27 July 2006

South West Nigeria Women Brace up for 2007 Elections South West Women brace up for 2007 Elections …..as GADA supports them With the next general elections a few months away, South West women in politics have decided not to take the back seat as they used to do in the past political dispensation, but to participate in the process and subsequently in the governance of the country. The South West geo-political zone of Nigeria, which comprises Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Lagos, Ondo and Ekiti, has in the past few weeks witnessed a flood of diverse posters of women vying for positions just like their male counterparts. Even before the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted ban on political campaign, politicians with ambitions were already making their interest known to people in their constituencies, through posters and handbills. Encouraged by the global trend women have decided to take the political scene by storm, contrary to what it used to be, thanks to the new dawn which gave women the opportunity to occupy the leadership positions as Chancellor in the German government, President in Chile and also the West African country, Liberia. From to the information gathered from the South West States visited, women are putting in all their vigor to ensure that they occupy unique elective positions in the next dispensation with early display of interest in political offices contrary to previous elections when they played supporting roles. The time is indeed auspicious for South West women politicians, Gender and Development Action (GADA) with support from the European Union (EU) has embarked on a unique project entitled “supporting women’s entry into politics towards the 2007 elections and promoting gender equitable governance in the South West state of Nigeria’’. The project is expected to assist in overcoming the barriers that women politicians face in the predominantly male dominated political environment in which they operate. Known as Project 300 Women the initiative is also expected to promote gender equity in politics and increase transformative leadership in the six states through capacity building and awareness creation which will extend constructive engagement between women politicians and other stake holders such as the media, political parties, community groups and elected officers. Discussions with some of the female aspirants encountered during the sensitization and constituency building in some of the states, it revealed that they were eager to participate in the governance of Nigeria. Many of them said that previously they were more concerned with the household chores and children. They claimed that they are capable of employing their experience as home makers and contributors in their communities to the governance of the nation as decision makers. It should be remembered that women expectations on full participation in politics were high in 2003 elections but were dashed due to various constraints at all levels of the electoral process. Though Non-Governmental Organizations and women groups made effort towards increasing the quality and numbers of women entering politics and governance, such efforts were characterized by weak arrangements which were easily quashed by the powers existing within the political system.

Posted on: 26th May 2006

Global Rights Country Director Visits GADA As part of familirisation tour to some of the Non-Governmental Organisations they have been working with in Nigeria the Country Director of Global Rights Nigeria Ms Sharon Rogers visits Gender and Development Action office in Lagos State Nigeria. She says she is quite delighted about some interesting information she received about GADA and hope to increase the relationship. The Director, Ada Agina-Ude also tells her some of the project GADA have handled and the challenges we are facing as an organisation. Also with Ms. Rogers is Fabian Okoye of same organisation.

Posted on: 26 July 2006

Nigeria Senate begins consideration of Bill to Domesticate CEDAW History is being made in the Nigerian Senate following its first reading of an Executive Bill for the domestication of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The development is a milestone considering the 21 years of tireless sensitization, social and legislative advocacy by relevant stakeholders in Nigeria’s human and women’s rights community in close consort with the Nigeria’s Gender machinery, (even before the establishment of the Women’s Commission and later the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs) the Justice Ministry and Development Partners. Nigeria signed the United Nations CEDAW Convention in 1984 and ratified same in 1985. Nigeria signed and ratified the Optional Protocol to CEDAW in 2000 and 2004 respectively thereby consolidating its commitment to the obligations of the Treaty. But despite Nigeria has shows a sustained compliance with the provisions of Article 18 of the CEDAW Convention in submitting the statutory periodic reports, its failure to domesticate the Convention has remained a source of concern on the extent of its commitment to women’s rights protection. As a leading African State Party to the Convention, domestication is not only long over due but its absence is no longer tenable given the costly implications it has to the image and opportunities of support for Nigeria at the UN and other international fora.

Posted on: 24, August 2006

Media Roundtable On 19th June, 2008 GADA as part of the activities on the ongoing project on 'Supporting Women's Entry into Politics" being supported by the European Union a media roundtable was organised to discuss the outcome of the project and how women faired in the 2007 general elections held in Nigeria. It was an interesting period especially as the media opened up new ground which women can use to position themselves more favourable in participation in governance.

Posted on: 21 June, 2008