The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Cross River and the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, a non-governmental organisation, have decried their non-inclusivity in democratic governance in the state.
They made their position known on tuesday in Calabar at a town hall dialogue on “Inclusive Democratic Governance in Cross River.” The organisations, with participants from various groups including women leaders, youth representatives, and People With Disabilities (PWDs), noted their persistent under-representation in political and governance structures in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other participants include traditional and religious leaders as well as political party representatives, and the media.
According to the organisers, the event was convened to deliberate on barriers to political inclusion and opportunities for strengthening democratic governance ahead of the 2027 elections.
They acknowledged the existence of legal and policy frameworks that promote inclusivity, but noted that in spite of these frameworks, women, youths, and PWDs were sidelined in political and governance structures in the state
They also noted that weak enforcement of inclusive policies, political apathy, challenges of economic exclusion, digital illiteracy, and social stigma had continued to limit participation.
The groups, however, expressed the determination of the stakeholders in Cross River to address these barriers through dialogues, collaborations and actions.
“According to them, we resolve to strengthen advocacy for the enforcement of inclusive policies that ensure meaningful representation of women, youths, and PWDs in governance structures.
“We also commit to promote voter education and digital literacy programmes targeted at the marginalised groups to enhance political awareness and participation.”
The participants further reaffirmed their collective commitment to advancing inclusive democratic governance in the state in particular and Nigeria at large.
