2027 NGOs, stakeholders in Kogi unite to curb violence

Описание: Stakeholders comprising non-governmental organisations, political parties, electoral bodies, religious leaders and civil society actors in Kogi State have resolved to work collectively to end electoral violence and dismantle barriers limiting women’s participation in politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.  The resolution was reached on Thursday at a state-level consultative forum on women and political parties, convened to improve inclusivity and enhance women’s participation in the electoral process in Kogi State.  Speaking at the forum, participants identified deep-rooted cultural and religious barriers, political victimisation, violence before, during and after elections, unfavourable social norms and the persistent stigmatisation of women as major obstacles discouraging women from active political engagement.  They stressed that these challenges must be urgently addressed before the 2027 polls.  The programme was organised by the Challenged Parenthood Initiativ in collaboration with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, with support from UK International Development. Participants unanimously agreed that all forms of violence, discrimination and stigmatisation against women in the electoral space must be eliminated in Kogi State.  In her welcome address, the Executive Director of CPI, Mrs Eunice Abimbola Agbogun, said the project was designed to strengthen women’s understanding of electoral laws and processes while deepening their engagement with key electoral stakeholders.  “The overall objective of this project is to enhance women’s knowledge of electoral laws and processes and to strengthen their engagement with key electoral institutions and stakeholders in Kogi State,” she said.  Agbogun noted that despite constitutional guarantees of equal political participation, women in Nigeria—particularly at the subnational level—continue to face systemic and structural exclusion.  “Recognising persistent gender-based marginalisation, this project focuses on strengthening understanding of electoral laws, building a non-partisan, women-led coalition, improving access to critical electoral information, and enhancing women’s engagement with institutions such as INEC and political parties,” she explained.  She disclosed that the initiative, scheduled for implementation between July 2025 and February 2026, is expected to drive long-term change in women’s electoral participation across the three senatorial districts of Kogi State.  “While progress has been recorded at the national level in gender policy development, actual representation and participation of women at the state and grassroots levels remain disproportionately low,” Agbogun said.  “Women continue to face barriers including limited understanding of electoral processes, entrenched cultural and religious norms, socio-economic disadvantages, minimal representation in party leadership structures, and the growing threat of gender-based electoral violence.”  She added that poor voter