Young females who are in Government as aids or holding political positions across Africa have raised concerns over the burden of sexual harrassment from their bosses that impedes their political carrier advancement.
The females who converged in Abuja yesterday was at the instance of the African Young Female Advisers Initiative in partnership with Cedar Seed Foundation and ActionAid.
The two Days National Consultation is centered on the discourse; Young Women in Governance and Young Women with Disabilities as enshrined in the 1999 constitution and the proposed women fair representation in elective and appointive positions bill 2020.
The President of the group who is also the special adviser to chairman Abuja Area Mjnicipal Council on ICT, Donor Agency and Civil Society Abiodun Essiett said they were fathered as young female advisers and young women in Government with disability to review the 1999 constitution and make some of the ammendments as it affects young females in Government.
“Our Organization is African Young Female advisers and we are special aids serving, appointed or electoral officers from the Local level to the federal level across Africa.
“So we are young females from across Africa who are special advisers to Presidents, Governors other political office holders.
“So we have come together as a group to say that we also want our voices to be heard and also review the 1999 constitution since the constitution is undergoing ammendment.
“We want to make our review and make our own ammendement and put together our own memorandum which we will send to the committee at the national assembly reviewing the constitution currently.”
She said Sexual harrassment has been the major issue saying that the women were only relaying their experiences.
Apart from that she believes women have the vigor and the capability to hold any political office and excel.
“A lot of people know the challenges of women in Government but we are now coming down for people to also know the challenges of young females in Government.
“We have these young women working as aids, special advisers to a senator, to a president, to a Governor, to a local Government chairman and they have identified sexual harrassment as a major issue.
“One reason is because they are young people and they see them as being vulnerable as someone they can approach and ask, ‘can you have sex with me’?
According to her, they are vulnerable because they are working majorly with older people and they find it so annoying as a major upset to carrying out their work.
“When you go to work everyday the major person you are working for is harassing you everyday.”
The secretary of the group Adaora Onyechere said the next conversation will be on 2023 with consultation on Constitution Review.
“Some of us, will be governors; House of Representatives members, some of us will Senators. I see that here in this hall.
“One of us said something that women do not support one another, I think that to me is the stereotype that continue to resonate which the men use to reduce the level of our capacity to be on top and I think it’s time for us to demystify that stereotype.”
“I know that there are levels of difficulties in terms of communication and how those Communications are received because we all come from different environment.
“But are we working together to see more women in Governance? Are we doing it differently, if yes, the call for me, is to harmonise so it will be as if are Consultant together.
“Women are great assets when they come together. You cannot break it; its something you can feel and there is a silent code.
“The issue of where women are gossiping is everywhere, its in the banking sector, it’s in the business, even men are doing it differently. In fact their own is the worst. They do it and gossip about it.”(nationalupdate)
