By Itoro Ekwere / Sola Popoola
Key actors in governance, civil society leaders, and community advocates convened today for a pivotal Focus Group Discussion (FGD) organized by UN Women .
The programme was part of the formal Endline Evaluation of the Advance Women Political Participation (AWPP) project being implemented by a non governmental.organisation, Balm in Gilead Foundation (BIGIF).
The session brought together diverse voices to review the impact, successes, and challenges of the initiative, which was designed to expand women’s leadership, representation, and decision-making power across political institutions and grassroots structures.
The Focus Group Discussion served as a critical platform for participants to share first-hand experiences, offer strategic reflections, and examine how the AWPP project has shifted political dynamics for women over its implementation cycle.
A representative of the Women in Politics Forum, Oluwasona Folakinola explained that “the project has supported a lot of women so far and I’m certain that as the year goes by we will have more women in the different political seats because the numbers are increasing and during post evaluation of our 2026 achievements, we will realize the milestones we have reached”.
Key areas of focus during the deliberations included evaluating how training and mentorship programs equipped aspiring female politicians and civic leaders to navigate electoral landscapes, analyzing the responsiveness of political parties, electoral bodies, and traditional institutions toward gender-inclusive policies, and examining community-level shifts in perception regarding female governance and leadership roles.
Hon. Victoria Banke reiterated the importance of the project and its achievements of inclusive participation of women in politics.
She said that “the majority of women wouldn’t believe that they would become politicians and those in active politicking wouldn’t believe that they can achieve greater heights
Women in rural areas through BIGIF platforms and programs are becoming more aware of the political rights as citizens of Ekiti State”, she added.
Participants highlighted significant milestones achieved through targeted advocacy while candidly addressing systemic barriers such as financial constraints, political violence, and entrenched patriarchal norms that continue to hinder equal participation.
Oluwasune Folakinola went further to explained that “the program is not completely over because women are been tracked, the work will continue, and the media will be massively engaged to ensure that all our activities will be lay bare for the citizens to see.”
She emphasized that “the numbers are increasing, more women are becoming candidates and no longer aspirants.”
As the evaluation phase wraps up, findings gathered during the session will directly inform UN Women’s final assessment of the AWPP initiative. Beyond measuring past progress, the endline evaluation aims to generate actionable insights and data-driven recommendations to guide future interventions for gender equality in political spaces in the state.
Hon. Banke encouraged more women to join politics and exercise their political rights from the lowest seats to the highest political seats.
Organizers emphasized that sustaining momentum requires continued multi-stakeholder collaboration, policy reform, and dedicated funding structures to ensure women non-negotiably occupy spaces where decision-making happens.