ElectHER, a non-governmental organization, emphasizes the need for more female electoral and security officers during elections to boost women's confidence in participating. They highlight that female voters often feel intimidated by a male-dominated security presence. In a pre-assessment analysis for the Ondo State off-cycle election, CEO Ibironke Faborode noted the limited political participation of women since 1999, with zero female representation in the current governorship race and only 5.9 for deputy governorship candidates, down from previous years.
Olarotimi Olaitan, Head of Programmes, pointed out the significant underrepresentation of women despite their substantial contribution to the state's socio-economic development. ElectHER plans to deploy 150 observers across Ondo State, with 100 collecting gender-centric data through their Verified Election Observers VEO Portal. They also announced the ElectHER-NWTF Joint Gender Situation Room, funded by the European Union, to provide real-time analysis of gender trends during the election.
This initiative aims to drive gender-inclusive governance and ensure data-driven transparency and accountability in elections.
