A former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Nimota Ibrahim has said sexual harassment from the male folk was part of the challenges confronting female politicians in Nigeria.

Ibrahim who also served as a commissioner in the state said this while speaking during a sensitization programme on Inclusive Politics and Participation of Women in Politics for Elective Office in Ilorin.

The former lawmaker also listed other challenges as religious and cultural bias, violence in politics, economic challenge and the schedule of political activities like meeting at odd hours.

This, she explained, was largely responsible for the drop in the number of women aspiring for elective office across board.

The event was organised for women political leaders across party lines from Ilorin South, East and West Local Government Areas, with the support of Community Need Care Development Initiative, the Global Affairs Canada, Actionaids and Glohwich.

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Ibrahim urged women to “rise to the occasion” by networking and refusing to be held down by the negative aspects of politics in order to make headway.

Also speaking, Coordinator, Media Advocacy and Technology Centre, Malam Musa Aliyu, who was the guest speaker at the event, identified political party structures and system as one of the major institutions affecting women participation in politics.

He urged women not to see politics as dirty while advising them to take steps to push for legislative changes and raise financial support for their kind in politics.