GENDER-RESPONSIVE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

The title of this Blog post was my presentation at the two-day orientation workshop for newly elected female Legislators to State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, held at Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, 17-18 May 2023. The workshop was organised by International Republican Institute (IRI) & Women's Democracy Network (WDC) in conjunction with National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILDS) & Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI). I was invited as a valued Facilitator/Trainer. The theme of the workshop was 'From winning to governing orientation.'

L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Santiago Stocker (Resident Programme Director, IRI)

Some of the topics and facilitators are:

*Taking Office: Overview of State Assembly structure & the law-making process - Prof. Jake Dan-Azumi (SA Technical to DG NILDS)

*Navigating tech-facilitated violence against women in politics - Bukky Shonibare (ED Invictus Africa)

*Legislative oversight & accountability: Principles, benchmarks & best practices - Dr. Ernest Ereke (IRI Consultant)

*Legislative committee system: Procedure, politics & challenges - Dr. Chris Ngara (Research Fellow, NILDS)

*Engaging the system:

a) Legislative-Executive-Judiciary relationships - Prof. Adewale Aderemi (Director, Democracy & Governance, NILDS)

b) Imperative of Female Caucuses - Hon. Mrs. Taiwo Oluga (Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee of Women in Parliament)

*Gender-responsive legislative agenda - Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa (Independent Conflict Transformation Strategist/Gender Specialist & Former Director, Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution - IPCR, Abuja)

*A roadmap to advance gender equity in political leadership in Nigeria - Ibijoke Faborode (CEO ElectHER)

*Critical reflection on Gender Bills - Senator Biodun Olujimi (Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation)

*Gender-responsive budgeting - Beatrice Eyong (UN Women Country Representative in Nigeria)

*Legislative representation: Engaging the citizenry & the media - Bukola Idowu (Team Lead, KDI)

*Bolstering your brand: Managing a strategic plan & building your team/Guiding principles for hiring & firing Legislative Aides - Hon. Simon Karu (Member, House of Representatives)

L-R: Senator Biodun Olujimi (Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation) & Dayo @ the lobby of Radisson Blu Hotel on the first day of the Workshop

My paper, 'Gender-responsive legislative agenda', was rather interactive. Representatives of five out of six geo-political zones were present. The participants were asked to list the service delivery deficit in their states that could negatively impact the female gender, and indeed both genders. The responses were quite insightful from one zone, nay state to the other. They were then asked to state what they would do as female legislators to bridge the lacunae in service delivery in various sectors identified - Education, Health, Transportation, Agriculture, etc. 

The responses were quite illuminating. I shall follow up with the legislators as regards their progress in ensuring better service delivery in their states via legislation, community engagement, self-improvement, holding the executive accountable, etc. A WhatsApp group to be set up by the organisers, specifically for progress on gender-responsive legislative agenda, my presentation, would ensure continuation of this important discourse with the female legislators.

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the workshop. Some of the Legislators are in the background
 

 

  

AFRICA FIRST LADIES PEACE MISSION (AFLPM)

 I was there live at the commissioning of the Africa First Ladies (AFLPM) Permanent Secretariat, Piwoyi, Airport Road, Abuja on the 9th of May 2023. The edifice is the brainchild of First Lady, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari. It consists of a 250-seater conference hall, library, restaurant, extensive parking lot and sundry modern amenities. The First Lady was commended for achieving the feat in just a little over a year!

                       Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the commissioning of the Secretariat

Some of the dignitaries from other parts of Africa present at the ceremony are:

*H.E. Dr. Joyce Banda - Former President of Malawi & Member, SADC Panel of Elders

*Amb. Rebecca Amuge Otenga - Chairperson of the PSC for May 2023; Ambassador of Uganda to Ethiopia, AU & UNECA

*H.E. Mrs. Jewel Taylor - Vice President of the Republic of Liberia

*H.E. Catherine Samba-Panza - Former President of the Central Africa Republic

*H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka - Former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa & Member, Panel of the Wise, AU

*Prof. Shaukat Abdurrazak - Director, Division of Africa, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

*Amb. Bankole Adeoye - Commissioner for Politics, Peace & Security, AU

*H.E. Bineta Diop - AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace & Security (WPS)

*H.E. Mohammed Ibn Chambas - AU High Representative for Silencing the Guns

*Representative of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina - President, Africa Development Bank (ADB)

*Mohammed Musa Bello - Hon. Minister of the FCT

                                              Dr, Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the ceremony

Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari remains the Chair of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the AFLPM for the next five years. All former First Ladies in Africa are automatic members of the BOT. Mrs. Buhari proposed that the 'Organisation of Africa First Ladies for Development' be merged into the AFLPM. She emphasised the fact that prevention of conflict is much more cost effective, while saving lives than management of same. The day before, 8th May 2023, at the State House Conference Hall Dome, Mrs. Buhari signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of AFLPM with the AU. Amb. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security, AU Commission, signed on behalf of the AU.

Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa @ the signing of the MOU between the AFLPM & the AU @ The Dome, Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja, 8th May 2023

AFLPM, known by its French acronym MIPREDA, is an outcome of the 1995 Fourth World Conference in Beijing on women, where the significant initiative was taken to establish Africa First Ladies Forum by African wives of Heads of State/Presidents who came together as ambassadors for peace during the conference. The initiative was taken by the First Ladies of Nigeria, Gambia, Benin, Uganda, Lesotho and Burundi to undertake peace missions to the rest of Africa. They were also to advocate for the inclusion of women in negotiation teams to serve as mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution throughout Africa. It started in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1996. The supreme organ of the mission is the 'First Ladies Conference'. Having held several regional meetings, the 'Abuja Declaration of Africa First Ladies on Peace & Humanitarian Issues' was made in 1996. (Source: www.aflpm.org) 

Earlier, Dr. Joyce Brenda, former President of Malawi gave a passionate speech. She alluded to the fact that leadership is a love affair between the leaders and the led. This can only happen when there is good governance via positive peace, respect for human rights, separation of powers, etc.

H.E. Mrs. Angeline Ndayishimiye, First Lady of Burundi, is the new President of the AFLPM. There was applause all round for the peaceful handover of 'power' from the incumbent President of AFLPM to the new President. It was indeed a glorious outing for the chief host, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari...