The United Nations (UN) Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Beatrice Eyong has urged media in Nigeria to support women candidates in the forthcoming 2023 general elections through their publications.

Ms Eyong said this during the quarterly media dialogue with Media Executives and Chief Editors on Gender Responsive Reporting held in Lagos on Saturday, she noted that the UN Women has established a resource centre for Nigerian Women in Politics.

“I appeal to you once again to harness the power of the media by using your respective media platforms to join this laudable project of supporting women through positive coverage as we move towards campaigns for the 2023 general elections. I want to encourage ourselves to reaffirm our commitments to gender-sensitive reporting of electoral issues, including the positive portrayal of women to the public.

Speaking further she said, “there is a need to increase women’s representation in decision-making positions by ensuring that the rights of women and girls are respected as found in the conventions and additional texts and protocols ratified by the government of Nigeria.

Eyong said, “I am sure that many of us here do not even know that there is a female presidential candidate.’

“There can’t be sustainable development and peace as long as women are not involved. In all spheres of life they should be involved because if they are not actors, they are accomplices or victims,” she added.