23rd August, 2024
By Angela Atabo/Emmanuel Oloniruha
The National Assembly says it is working on numerous bills and measures to increase the participation of women in both elected and appointive offices in Nigeria.
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, made this known at a one-day High Level National Summit on Women Inclusion on Thursday in Abuja.
The summit was organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), with support from the Commonwealth and Development Office through the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
Abbas, represented by Ms. Fatima Talba, Chair, Women in Parliament, National Assembly, said that women constituted approximately 49.45 per cent of Nigeria’s total population as at 2023 but it does not reflect so in governance.
The speaker said that the participation of women in politics has remained relatively low since 2015, adding that had the gender bills rejected by the 9th assembly scaled through, the situation would have been different.
He, however, said the 10th Assembly was committed to reversing the negative trend and ensuring increased women inclusion in governance through some initiatives.
“Firstly, we are reintroducing and supporting the Bill on special seats for women as part of our constitutional amendment efforts.
“This initiative aims to provide immediate representation for women in legislative bodies while we work towards long-term solutions.
“We will advocate for legislation that increases women’s representation in elective positions by creating special women-only seats within both the Senate and the House of Representatives.”
Abbas said that the assembly would encourage State Houses of Assembly to adopt similar measures.
He added that the assembly recognised the need for electoral reforms to mandate political parties to include a certain percentage of female candidates within their leadership structures.
The speaker said that the assembly was working towards the passage of the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill to ensure that women were active and equal participants in Nigeria’s political and decision-making processes.
Abbas added that oversight has been strengthened to ensure compliance with the National Gender Policy and court judgment on the full implementation of the 35 per cent affirmative action on appointive and elective positions in both the public and private sectors.
A member of Ekiti House of Assembly, Abimbola Solanke said the inclusion of women in governance was not merely a matter of gender equality but a critical component of the nation’s progress.
“Women bring unique perspectives, strengths, and solutions to the table, and their full participation in governance is essential to building a more just, equitable, and prosperous society,” she said.
