Thousands of young female politicians converged at Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State to reiterate the need for the inclusion of youths especially females in political offices.
Making their demand known yesterday, at the grand finale of a statewide sensitization program, the Young Female progressives, an advocacy group with a mission to mobilize young female politicians in order to enthrone the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2019 at the saddle of leadership, urged young women to participate actively in politics.
Presenting her speech, leader of the group, Pretty Karibo, commended Dame Judith Amaechi, wife of the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for her support in ensuring the empowerment of young female politicians.
Excerpts of Karibo’s address reads;
A WELCOME ADDRESS BY PRETTY KARIBO ON THE OCCASION OF THE STATEWIDE AWARENESS/SENSITIZATION CAMPAIGN OF THE YOUNG FEMALES PROGRESSIVES, YFP.
Your Excellency,
Dame Judith Chibuike Amaechi,
Wife of the Honourable Minister of Transportation,
The APC National Women Leader
The State Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State,
Dinstiguished Women leaders,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very delighted indeed to stand here before you my leaders and colleagues on this auspicious occasion to welcome you all to the Sensitization and Awareness Campaign of the Young Female Progressives, YFP, in Ikwerre LGA themed: “YOUNG FEMALES IN POLITICS; A PARADIGM SHIFT”
The Young Female Progressives (YFP), is a grassroots based Organization for mobilizing Young Females towards the enhancement of our Party, the APC, raising awareness on the need for young females to participate fully in politics and canvassing for the recognition and inclusion of young females in the contemporary political equation and distribution of resources.
Let me to take you on an excursion into the cradle of the Young Female Progressives. The YFP was born out of the challenges facing Young Females in Politics. In this part of Africa, there is an erroneous notion that when you talk about the youths it refers only to Male Youth, Permit me to use the word, “Male Youth” and when you talk about the women it refers only to older women.
In each case there is only Victim, one side-lined category and that is the younger women, the Young Females, so we are neither here nor there, more like a state of De facto classlessness. Therefore, the Young Females with these challenges, came together and decided to push for a paradigm shift that will birth full incorporation of Young Females in Politics.
It was Tony Robbins who said and I quote: “The only impossible journey is the one you never begin” when we first conceived the idea to begin a Young female mobilization outfit that will harness the and energies of the younger ones, especially the females and galvanize support for our great Party, we met with stiff opposition, obstacles and daunting challenges on our path yet we were able to surmount our challenges, whither the storms and generated the required momentum that kept us on our path and propelled us towards success. I must confess, it wasn’t an easy one, the battle was fierce on every side but we had a clear view of what we wanted to achieve, we mustered the courage within us, zeroed in on our aim and refused to be discouraged.
We know that History is replete with Female leaders who shook their world and imparted their generation massively; leaders who stood against the run of play and made lasting impacts in the social and political spheres. But with the current apathy of Young Females towards political leadership, It became our responsibility to close ranks and bridge the gap if we must continue to produce great female leaders that will shape their world. This, for us was a mission worth taking on.
So we began going from LGA to LGA and ever since, we have visited not fewer than 15 LGAs in the State spreading the gospel of change, recruiting young female soldiers for our party and engaging them in talks to spur them towards political leadership and infuse in them Progressive ideals. My leaders and colleagues, it is important to add here that between when we started this campaign and now, the Young Female Progressives, have been able to reach out to over 3000 young females including those in the rural areas. In fact, recently we embarked on our Campus to Campus tour and got an amazing harvest. Over 1000 young females were gathered and seated in our first campus tour at the Rivers State University.
Please permit me to state emphatically, that our concern for the inclusion of young females in the political equation in our dear State is inspired by the efforts of our Leader and Grand Patroness, Her Excellency, Dame Judith Amaechi, Wife of the Honourable Minister of Transportation, to support the females in politics and ensure they are given positions of leadership – appointive or elective. From her days as First Lady of Rivers State, she has demonstrated unparalleled commitment towards the political emancipation of women and has given them the opportunity and needed push to excel politically. We make bold to say that we are thriving on the very foundations she has laid and we are sure that in 2019, Rivers State will be the first State to fully implement the 35% affirmative action but most importantly, we hope to see a surge of young females in our political space. Our target is to have at least 100, 000 young females who are Progressive minded and inclined towards the values and ideals of our party by 2019. No doubt, this is a tasking path but we believe it is achievable with the support of everyone of us and if we continue in same spirit and tempo as we have had.
Thank you and God bless you!
APC National women leader, Hajia Salamatu Baiwa, and other female stakeholders were at the rally.
