ElectHER opens situation room, monitors through gender lens

Ahead of the Saturday Edo State Governorship Election, ElectHER, a civil society organization, says it is hosting a dedicated Election Situation Room to observe the Edo State Governorship election through a gender-sensitive lens.

The initiative, with the support of the European Union, will focus on documenting and amplifying the participation and representation of women throughout the electoral process, ensuring that issues concerning women’s political inclusion remain at the forefront.

As part of this effort, ElectHER will deploy its election-technology platform, Hernalytics, piloting the Verified Election Observer (VEO) Portal.

The tool will enable over 70 trained observers to collect real-time, disaggregated data on election day, which will be analyzed by a team of technical experts based in the Situation Room.

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Commenting on the significance of the election technology, ElectHER CEO, Ibijoke Faborode emphasized:

“In an election where only one woman is contesting for the Governorship seat and five women are running for Deputy Governor positions, disaggregated data is essential to understanding the gaps and opportunities in women’s political participation. We are committed to ensuring that women’s voices and leadership are amplified in every election. The Verified Election Observer (VEO) Portal represents a breakthrough in data-driven election observation, helping to promote transparency and accountability in the process.”

In addition to its Election Situation Room, ElectHER has released a pre-assessment of the electoral landscape ahead of the Saturday polls.

The report analyzes key factors such as gender representation, historical voter registration patterns, candidate manifestos, INEC’s preparedness, risks of electoral violence, and an overall Election Risk Assessment.

The analysis reveals the critical role women, and the youth play as voters, with women representing 47.89% of the electorate at 1,259,964, and the youth demography (ages 18-35) dominating registration with 983,133 voters, making up 37.40% of the total 2,629,025 voters for the 2024 Edo Off-Cycle Election.

The analysis also delved into the campaign manifestos of the top three (3) candidates from PDP, APC and Labour Party, as well as the sole female candidate, assessing their policy priorities and considerations for gender inclusivity. Asides sole female candidate’s manifesto which strongly integrates women’s empowerment and gender equality into its broader vision for wealth creation, the PDP candidate’s manifesto clearly integrates gender inclusion, emphasizing on women’s economic empowerment, through initiative like microloans and support for female entrepreneurs, appointing women to key government positions and addressing critical issues like education, healthcare, and gender-based violence.