By Edwin Philip
The head of MacArthur Foundation Nigeria Dr. Kole Shettima has said that women in Nigeria are not minority but are only ‘minoritised’ by the government, culture, religion and the powers that be despite making up 51 percent of the country’s population.
He made this known at the premiere of the the Double Minority, a documentary produced by Daria media headed by a veteran Journalist Kaderia Ahmed and supported by the MacArthur Foundation .
He said that MacArthur Foundation appreciate Kaderia for her commitment towards gender equality and equity in Nigeria, saying that Nigerians are embarrassed by the data and pictures that is churned out of the country when it has to do with how women are treated in political or appointive positions.
“I think from what we hear and know and research and knowledge produced we know that we are far behind Somalia in IPU data there was 177 out 181 in terms of parliamentarians this is horrible remember I was talking to a woman Senator telling her that one day we will not have a woman representing us in any international meetings, if we are not careful a man will represent women in some of those meetings” he said.
He added “I was telling Kaderia that yes it double minority but it should be double minoritised because women are not minority in numbers, women are not minority in the electoral process but we have minoritirised women in our electoral process, our representation even in terms of population 51 percent are women, for some of us who observed election you will notice that women are the ones who are always on the queue, the are not minority but we have minoritised women that is the problem”.
According to him, the challenge is what should be done to remove the minoritisation that has happened in the society, the same line of thought towed by other speakers at the screening of the documentary.
Speaking to reporters Aisha Adamu Augi, the Director General Centre of Black Art and African Art and Civilisation (CEBAC) said the screening It is a documentary of the Nigerian history and story as it regards women, as women are dominating other spaces, that there is need to own the political space, wishing that women should be part of everyday decisions as 2027 beckons.
On her part, a political commentator, Nana Sani Kazaure, known for her work around the Obidient movement, said ” From the fisherman to tailors people in the bank, we should have this conversation, I hope it doesn’t end in Yar’adua center I hope it grows so that way at home, even from school the say catch them young the conversation must continue” she said.
She added that Women should compete and not necessarily been given, “I have said it we are not less than we should get into the ring and compete and may the best women always come women with capacity, credibility, women with good conscience women who are compassionate this are the kind of women who are educated enough for those seat they should come out ” she added.
Speaking earlier, the brain behind the Double Minority, Kaderia Ahmed, said Double Minority is a documentary that followed nine women during the 2023 election people who tried to get into elective office in Nigeria, as it was important to document this journey by this women, having seen a dwindling in female representation in Nigeria.
” During the time of president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan we had like 33 percent representing and 2 percent off the gender policy benchmark of 35 percent, my expectations was that we are going to be seeing progress instead of that we are now back to paltry 3.3 percent representation and it is not even acceptable not only for us as a democracy but as people in charge of government, people making legislation, people making laws should represent the demography of society and should be as inclusive as the society ” she said.
According to Ahmed, It is important that spaces are created to showcase women stories, which that is the first thing one will notice about the documentary.
Musa Yar’adua Center, the venue for premier Monday night, was sparkling with the lights and sounds of people from all walks of life, expecially women in politics, noteble among them Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who’s story in the documentary was full of emotions and lessons that should shape the political discourse as regards how women should be treated in politics.
A panel discussion comprising some of the female candidates featured in the documentary one of the panelists was Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, former House of Reps member representing the Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State.
‘Double Minority’ is the documentation of a systemic and unrestrained political exclusion, the silencing of a major demographic by those in current control of the power levers at various levels unwilling to yield the power.