Lawmakers, UNDP drum support for additional 182 legislative seats for women
House Committee Chairman on Women Affairs and Social Development, Rep. Kafilat Ogbara (APC-Lagos) has urged all stakeholders to support a bill to create additional 182 legislative seats for women in the country.
Ogbara made the call on Tuesday while briefing newsmen and some stakeholders at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
She said that women’s representation in governance and decision-making processes in the country had been alarmingly low especially in the legislature in spite of making up half of the country’s population.
The lawmaker explained that the Reserve Seats for Women Bill, aimed to address the imbalance by ensuring that a certain percentage of seats in the legislature are exclusively reserved for women.
”I urge all stakeholders, government officials, Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and citizen in general to support this crucial bill.
”It is time to break the barriers that have hindered women’s participation in politics and governance. We must work together to advocate for its passage and ensure it becomes Law.
”Together, we can create a more equitable society where women’s voices are heard and valued.
”This bill is not just a legislative proposal; it is a commitment to building a future where every woman has the opportunity to contribute their voice to our nation’s governance.
“Together let us champion this cause and pave a way for a more inclusive Nigeria that will give way to an inclusive Growth and a Developed Nation,” she said.
The rep explained that the bill proposed an additional one seat across the 36 states and FCT be reserved for women at the Senate and House of Representatives.
She said that it also proposed three additional seats to be reserved for women at the state Houses of Assembly to enhance participation and representation in governance.
”The bill includes provisions to encourage the participation of women from diverse backgrounds, including young women, women with disabilities, and those from marginalised communities.
”This bill is not just about numbers; it is about giving women a voice in the decision-making processes that affect their lives and communities.
”By increasing women’s representation, we can ensure that their perspectives, needs, and rights are adequately addressed in policy formulation and implementation.
“This bill aligns with international commitments to gender equality, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 5, which calls for achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” she added.
In her remarks, Sen. Ireti Kingibe (LP-FCT) said that when women set their minds to achieve a goal, nothing stops them.
She urged women to go out and campaign for the bill among themselves and their male counterparts.
The lawmaker said that Nigeria was often disadvantaged when it comes to voting at international legislative as a result of low women representation.
She added that the bill was not about increasing the number of women in parliament but about the speedy development of the country.
The Country Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ms Elsie Attafuah commded the leadership of the 10th Assembly for championing the bill.
Attafuah said that the bill was not just a proposal but a defining moment in the democratic journey of Nigeria.
She said that the capacity, resilience, brilliance and leadership of Nigerian women cuts across all sectors as demonstrated by the Super Falcons, champions of the just concluded Women Cup of Nations in Morocco.
She also said that the victory was also a call to all stakeholders to ensure full and equal representation for women.
The UNDP country representative noted that currently, women occupied less than five per cent of the seats in Nigeria’s legislature, saying that the gap was a call to dismantle all forms of barriers against women and to build a more inclusive and just governance system.
She pledged the support of UNDP to the success of the bill.
In an interview with the newsmen Princess Nikky Onyeri, the Secretary General, Association of Woman Tradition Title Holders in Nigeria said that the bill was apt.
Onyeri said that Nigeria was missing a lot with almost 50 per cent of the population excluded from decision-making processes.
She said that with more qualified women on the table, the impact on GDP and across all sectors would be a significant growth.
”We are pleading with the lawmakers and the executive to pass this bill. I am confident because President Bola Tinubu is gender friendly.
“The leadership of house is pushing; this is the right time to get the right people behind the bill who are indeed all Nigerians.
”We are appealing to the men, traditional leader and even women themselves especially those who are hesitant, to come on board and to support this bill,” she said.
