Some Nigerian women have on Wednesday staged a protest at the National Assembly, calling for a reconsideration of the gender bills rejected by the lawmakers.
The protesters condemned lawmakers for voting against proposed gender bills on Tuesday, saying the action will deny women the opportunity of inclusion and representation in governance.
Recall that National Assembly had rejected a constitutional bill seeking to create special seats for women in the federal legislative arm of government.
Read Also: Bill On Special Seats For Women Fails At House Of Reps
Part of the amendments that failed include the creation of 111 special seats for women, women being able to take on the indigene-ship of their husbands, passing their nationality to their foreign spouses, having 35% in political party leaderships and having more appointment positions.
The bill titled “Bill For an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for related matters” failed after both chambers of the national assembly voted on it on Tuesday.
While the house voted 81-208 to throw the bill out, the senate had a 30-58 vote.
The bill failed to get the lawmakers’ nod despite enjoying the backing of Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, and Dolapo Osinbajo, wife of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
The First Lady had last week attended plenary alongside Pauline Tallen, minister of women affairs, when the report on the legislation was considered. Dolapo Osinbajo was also present as the senate began voting on constitution amendments.
Nigerian women have now occupied the gate of the National Assembly in protest, chanting songs of solidarity.
The groups are demanding that the Federal lawmakers take another look at the requests for 111 seats for women, other parts of the bill and vote in favour of these amendments.
The groups gathered for the protest include United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), Federation of Muslim Women Association (FOMWA), Women Organisation for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN), Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA), Women In Business (WIMBIZ), Action Aid, Yiaga Africa, Islamic Youth League, among others.
The women said gender equality is a development issue and not about women.
Exhausted that we have to protest for pretty much everything, especially things that are in everyone’s interest. Exhausted. How hard can it be? How can we be asking for the basics in 2022?
PS: There are babies here too.#BreakTheConstitutionBias#NigerianWomenOccupyNASS pic.twitter.com/P146JoFpMr
— Chioma Agwuegbo (@ChiomaChuka) March 2, 2022
