Women in Nigeria have been charged to negotiate power sharing and opportunities available to them in the political space in order to have greater participation in politics.

A women rights group, South-South Gender and Constitutional Reform Network gave this charge recently in a chat with Kristina Reports in Port Harcourt.

Speaking through its Coordinator, Emem Okon, the group also called on Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to consider appointing more women into political offices in his second tenure.

Wike is yet to constitute his cabinet, 82 days after his inauguration for a second term in office.

“Women that are members of political parties should begin to know how to negotiate power. You don’t just work for them, engage with the parties. Sign MOU if it is necessary. At the end of the election, what comes to us?”

Okon, who blamed the situation on gender marginalization in the political arena, noting that the trend was inimical to fairness, equity and gender balance in the polity, took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for having only seven women out forty ministerial nominees.

“Women are being underrated. The society, they have not still accepted women leadership. And that nomination, seven women out of 42 is just a shame. Are they going to tell us that there were no women who worked for APC to win the presidential election? So, why not also appoint them as ministers?” she asked, regretting that the President Buhari’s second term cabinet was dominated by more males than females.

She said, given the fact that women worked so hard to ensure Wike was voted into office for a second term, they should be considered for political appointments by him.

“It is not a matter of advice. We ended up with one woman in the House of Assembly. So we expect a lot from the Governor to appoint more women into the cabinet.”

Emem Okon, who is also the Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, said her group was also calling on the federal and state ministries of Women Affairs to put pressure on the National Assembly to revisit and consider passing into law the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill. “So, I am looking at a situation where the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs really, really need to take up the issue of the National Assembly passing the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill into law to begin to hold the government accountable”.