Stakeholders Urge Tinubu To Prioritise Women’s Representation

Stakeholders, including civil society organisations, have asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take concrete steps to enhance women’s representation in political positions.
The appeal was made during a media dialogue hosted by Women Radio 91.7 FM, marking the two-year anniversary of a significant judgement on the 35% affirmative action.

The national president of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Amina Agbaje, expressed concern over the low number of women appointed as ministers in the Tinubu-led administration, emphasizing that women, who play pivotal roles in elections, deserve adequate representation in decision-making positions.

Agbaje stressed the importance of sustained advocacy for women’s inclusion in governance.
Rasheedat Medupin of the Sustainable Gender Action Initiative (SGAI) urged the government to collaborate with civil society organisations to enforce the 35% affirmative action and amplify women’s voices in national affairs.

Medupin underscored the need for the Tinubu-led administration to honour the 2022 judgement by appointing more women into key positions and implementing gender-sensitive policies.
Also, Barrister Marshal Abubakar of Falana & Falana Chambers emphasised the government’s obligation to adhere to the rule of law and uphold the 2022 judgement.

Abubakar called on Nigerian women to seek legal recourse if the administration fails to comply and advocated for constitutional amendments to enhance women’s participation in governance.

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Ngozi Nwosu-Juba of Vision Spring Initiatives highlighted the importance of grassroots involvement and urged women to leverage ongoing constitutional reviews to advance gender equality legislation, emphasizing the necessity of enforcing the judgement through legal channels.

Zainab Yahaya Tanko of Nigerian Women Trust Fund emphasized the numerical strength of women and urged relentless efforts until the judgement is fully implemented.
The consensus reached during the media dialogue emphasized the urgent need for the government to fully implement the National Gender Policy, mandated by the landmark judgement on April 6, 2022, in support of women’s rights and representation.

In 2020, Nigerian civil society organisations, led by Nigerian Women Trust Fund, initiated legal action against the government to compel the implementation of the 35% affirmative action outlined in the National Gender Policy.

On April 6, 2022, Nigerian women secured a significant victory in court with pro bono support from Falana and Falana Chambers, marking a milestone in the pursuit of gender equality in governance.