Former Presidential Adviser and senator, Florence Ita-Giwa, has sparked controversy by stating that women in the Senate cannot be sexually harassed once they are elected. Her comments come in response to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations that Senate President Godswill Akpabio frustrated her efforts to raise motions concerning the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State because she refused his sexual advances.
Ita-Giwa, who represented the Cross-River South Senatorial District, asserted that female lawmakers who have won senatorial seats have “passed that stage of their life” where they can be sexually harassed. She emphasized that women in the Senate are equals to their male counterparts and should not be seen as vulnerable.
“It shows weakness; you don’t allow it. It (sexual harassment) cannot happen in the Senate,” Ita-Giwa said, suggesting that complaining about sexual harassment is a sign of weakness. She clarified that she was not accusing Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of lying but stressed that women in politics should be seen as equals.
Ita-Giwa’s comments have sparked a heated debate over the treatment of women in Nigerian politics. Many are questioning the implications for future claims of sexual misconduct in the political arena.
