Women's Group Urges Greater Female Participation in Leadership

• The Peace, Progress and Unity Global Initiative (PPUGI) has called for more involvement of women in governance, politics, and leadership
• The group has pointed out that there has been a lack of adequate involvement of women in leadership positions

A women’s advocacy organization, Peace, Progress and Unity Global Initiative (PPUGI), has called for more involvement and participation of women in governance, politics, and leadership, especially in view of the 2027 general election, despite the contribution of women to development in the country.

The call, according to a statement from the Founder of PPUGI, Farida Ahmed, was made during a celebration event in Lagos to mark International Women’s Day, with a theme, “Give and gain, when opportunities meet prepared women,” held at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, with an award ceremony to honour and acknowledge the contribution of women in the country.

In her statement, Farida said, “We believe opportunities are most effective when they meet prepared and ready individuals, and we are aware that currently, we have 16 percent representation in federal positions, four percent in the House of Representatives, and five percent in the Senate.”

She also acknowledged the inclusion of women in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, while encouraging the Federal Government to make further efforts to promote and empower women.

Another person who was praised for promoting gender inclusion was Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was noted to have empowered women to the extent that 20 percent are represented at the leadership level, while 10 percent are represented at the local government level.

The objective, however, is to have an average of 35 percent representation for females at the leadership level, as noted by Farida. While acknowledging that progress has been made, further efforts are required to bridge the gap.

The event also saw a call to action to all women across the country to take positions that would empower them to leadership roles, while advocating for changes that promote inclusive leadership.

There was also a message from religious leaders, who encouraged women to stay focused and united while pursuing leadership roles.