Honourable Folasade Faparusi-Akinrinmola, a Nigerian politician, stated that more women should get into politics.
In a sitdown with Nigerian Tribune’s Tayo Gesinde, she spoke about how she got into politics and said that her belief is that the worst woman in politics is still better than the best man.
She explained that she feels women are their own worst enemy and that women who don’t perform in office block the way for other women who want to get into politics.
She also said that women aren’t well represented in politics, but that times have gotten better
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“We are not fairly represented if we look at the percentage of women in the Houses of Assembly and House of Representatives.
“I believe it is our fault because we are not ready to support ourselves. We are not ready to vie for elective positions. It is our fault because we don’t want to be intimidated by men or be blackmailed. Fear of the unknown and failure is also another barrier to women. So, it is not the fault of the government or the electorate.
“We need to enlighten ourselves on the need to actively participate in politics. Also, established politicians should mentor other women. Women should be courageous and bold to come out. If we are able to manage our homes, we can manage anywhere we find ourselves.
“We should support any woman aspirant that is vibrant no matter her political affiliation. We have the number; we have what it takes to win an election. The worst woman ever is better than the best man. That is what I believe.”
When asked about women and next year’s elections, she said that if women want to have a chance, there need to be more of them in the political sphere and that they need to come from good homes.
“If we want to have a good outing next year, we need women who come from good families to contest elections. Women who know that when they fail, thousands of women out there have failed because when a woman occupies a position of authority and she does not do well, she has blocked the chances of other women.
“In Nigerian politics, money is a challenge for women in politics. People believe if you don’t have money, don’t come near politics. They don’t attach any importance to credibility, the electorate don’t want to know people who will make positive impact when they are elected, what they are interested in is the money they will get from the aspirant. This is because they believe it is whatever they are able to gather during election period that they will benefit from the aspirant.
“However, if a woman is determined and she has God’s backing and she believes in her vision, she will succeed in politics. It is not only politics that is challenging, life itself is a risk. Challenges are ladder to success, when you are being challenged, think of how best to overcome the challenge. If there are no challenges, there won’t be progress.” she said