Women politicians and gender advocates in Kaduna have called for greater inclusion of women in elective positions as political parties concluded their primaries.

The women made the call in Kaduna on Wednesday.

Munira Tanimu, the only female House of Assembly member in Kaduna, described women’s participation in the primaries as encouraging.

Ms Tanimu, who won her primary election for another term in the assembly under the All Progressives Congress, urged all political parties to strengthen affirmative action measures to improve female representation.

She said women are committed to serving, and political parties should support them.

According to Ms Tanimu, who is the Kaduna assembly majority leader, women are no longer content with playing supporting roles.

“They are stepping forward to contest and lead. Political parties must support this momentum,” she said.

Comfort Amwe, a former assembly member representing Sanga constituency, said the outcome of recent primaries reflected the challenges women still faced in the political arena.

According to her, financial constraints and the influence of political godfathers remain major obstacles to women’s electoral success.

“We must continue advocating for reforms that will make the political environment more inclusive and accessible to women,” she said.

The APC women’s leader in Kaduna, Maryam Suleiman, expressed satisfaction with women’s participation in the primaries but stressed the need for sustained mentorship and political education.

She said women must be encouraged to build strong political networks and participate actively at the grassroots level.

A legal practitioner, Naymarie Musa, urged political parties to move beyond rhetoric and provide practical support for women by offering more opportunities.

She said the inclusion of women in leadership positions was essential for democratic development and good governance.

A former senatorial aspirant under the New Nigeria People’s Party, Tinok Andrew-Nok, said many women contestants demonstrated courage and resilience despite facing numerous challenges during the primaries.

She called for stronger collaboration among women across party lines to advance gender inclusion in politics.

The coordinator of the Kaduna Women Advancement Initiative, Grace Yakubu, said the outcome of the primaries showed that more work was needed to achieve meaningful representation for women.

Ms Yakubu urged political parties, civil society organisations and government institutions to intensify advocacy for gender-sensitive policies and increased political participation by women.

Another women’s rights advocate, Aisha Ibrahim, noted that women’s participation remained below expectations and appealed to stakeholders to address structural barriers limiting women’s participation in politics.

(NAN)