By Chimezie Godfrey
No fewer than I8 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, have demanded that the National Assembly should reconsider and pass the Gender Bills.
The CSOs in a statement on Monday noted that 1st of March 2022 will go down in history as one of the saddest days for women of Nigeria.
According to them, the said date is a day that men of the 9th National Assembly forced women to swallow the bitter pill of ‘irrelevance’ in public life. A day that gender exclusion was legalized with their votes against the five Constitutional Amendment Bills seeking to promote the political and socio-economic rights of women.
The CSOs pointed out that these were Bills that were expected to safeguard democratic rights of women and young girls of Nigeria whilst increasing their participation and ensuring their dignity.
According to them, it is clear that discrimination has become a policy of the 9th National Assembly despite Nigeria being signatory to global conventions, norms and standards against discrimination.
The Coalition stated that it is particularly painful that this devastating action of National Assembly men happened in a month where women are celebrated globally.
They said the action of the National Assembly men shows disdain for Women of Nigeria who make up at least 50% of the population of Nigeria 200 million people.
They therefore called on the NASS to reconsider and pass the gender bills.
The CSOs also demanded for more appointive positions for women, specific Seats for Women in the National and State Assemblies,
citizenship to the foreign-born husband of Nigerian women, and 35% Affirmative Action in Party Administration and Leadership, among others.
“In 2022, we do not expect to be dealing with this level of gender bias which has hindered equal and balance representation in governance. The effort to change this narrative and promote women’s representation through all five Gender Bills have now been rejected by the male-dominated 9th National Assembly, thereby, rejecting improved governance, quality education, good public health system and economic benefits that would have been brought on inclusion of more women.
“We join all women in Nigeria and around the world to commemorate the International Women’s Day and specifically demand for:
· More Appointive Positions for Women
· Specific Seats for Women in the National and State Assemblies
· Citizenship to the foreign-born husband of Nigerian Women
· 35% Affirmative Action in Party Administration and Leadership
· Indigeneship for Women married outside their States of Origin
“We the undersign say NO to gender inequity and say a loud YES to GENDER EQUITY AND REPRESENTATION.
“We demand as a matter of urgency for the National Assembly to reconsider and pass the Gender Bills. We enjoin all Nigeria Women to OCCUPY NASS on Tuesday March 8, 2022.
“The Voice of women will not cease, until equal representation is achieved,” the CSOs stated.
The statement was signed by the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development, The Electoral Hub, Emerge Women, Gender Strategy Advancement International, Partners West Africa, Nigeria
Centre for Democracy and Development, and
Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability.
Others are the African Youth Union Commission, 100 Women Lobby Group – Abuja, League of Women Voters of Nigeria, Proactive Gender Initiatives, Pan African Women Forum for Grassroot Development,
Women for Women Community, Nigeria Women Support Council, Network of Disabled Women, Society for Women Mentoring and Advancement, Bemore Empowered Foundation, and Womanifesto.
