In order to ensure the
increase in women’s participation in political processes at
all levels in Nigeria, the Women
Situation Room Nigeria, WSRN a platform that connects people who share
passion of peaceful electoral process and women’s participation in all level of
political processes was launched in Nigeria.
WSRN
launched during the 2015 General Elections in Nigeria, ran election observatory in 9 states and Situation Room at
Abuja the FCT to responding to possible violence and threats to women
participation in the 2015 general elections in Nigeria. Stepping from this,
WSRN in 2016 kick started a process of using similar structure for state level
elections in the 36 states in Nigeria
and at the national level between 2016 and 2019.
I am proud to say that
today WSRN, South West zone is launched in Akure, Ondo state
with series of activities including advocacy visits to critical stakeholders
and partners in Ondo state and a WSRN Coordinators meeting.
A team
comprising the WSRN South West coordinator and the coordinators for the states
in the zone had an advocacy visit to the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo
State, Olusegun Agbaje, MFR,
and sought the Commission’s partnership and support for WSRN proposed
activities in the scheduled gubernatorial election in the state. The team and WSRN’s
National Coordinator also paid advocacy visit to the Commissioner
of Police, The Nigeria Police, Ondo State Command, Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison at her office in Akure and got the
commitment of the Commissioner to support WSRN’s observatory of the 2016
gubernatorial elections in the state as well as assigning an officer to support
the proposed Situation Room for the election.
This
WSRN Coordinators meeting presented the opportunity for the coordinators at the
national, zonal and state level to meet physically for the first time and share
common vision and understanding of WSRN and their roles and responsibilities as
members of the WSRN team in South West zone Nigeria.
Specifically the meeting had the below outputs:
- The development of criteria for the selection of Local Government Area (LGA) Coordinators for the states in Nigeria.
- The development of a six-month Action plan for WSRN in the zone.
- The development of the plan for WSRN observatory and running of Election Situation during the November 22nd 2016 gubernatorial elections in Ondo state.
- The mapping of critical stakeholders and potential partners for WSRN at the state level.
- Awareness on the WSRN App.
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