Women Groups Advocate For Re-introduction Of Gender Bills

Coalition of gender groups have advocated for the re-introduction of the five gender bills rejected by the 9th National Assembly in 2022.

The Coalition, who said women’s representation is abysmally poor, reiterated the urgent need to address these disparities and ensure gender equality and inclusion of women in all spheres of life.

The gender bill cluster supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Palladium, consists of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Womamifesto, National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA), Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GCRN),SAGE and Gender Mobile.

Speaking during the advocacy hashtag and signature campaign in Abuja, the Founder and Executive Director, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the campaign is aimed at raising one million signatures in the country to support the re-introduction of the five rejected gender bills.

She said the campaign would ignite public discussion through hashtags targeting political leaders and other relevant stakeholders.

Also, former Country Director, ActionAid, Mrs Ene Obi, said employment rates being focused on the men alone has raised a lot of dust which demands women being considered as part of who can add to the value of the nation.

Through the WARD-C work and the coalition, she said the gender cluster will try to gather signatories and also work together.

Obi, however urged Nigerian women to take action at the National and state assemblies.

“The bills is not just about women but about humanity which includes human right and social justice, we are hoping that they will do better”, she said.

Speaking, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, said the bill needs to have more of level of enlightenment to the public.

Kalu, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Strategy and Programme Assistant, Simon Katu, said the effort put in the bill approach is huge and impressive.

He said: “Not all issues get to scale through in the first attempt, but the 9th National Assembly attempted by women was a very successful attempt and that has given rise to a better strategy to women who actually adopts to the current review for the 10th national assembly.

“So I think if there’s anything that should be done better is the aspect of dedicating not just the legislators but the people within the country to understand the value of the bills”.