The organizations are urging federal parliamentarians to reconsider the requests for 111 seats for women, citizenship,35 percent representation in party leadership, and more appointive roles in government, and to vote in favor of thesereforms.
On Wednesday, March 02, 2022, protested the National Assembly’s rejection of constitutional reforms that would have benefited women on Tuesday, March 01, 2022.
The introduction of 111 special seats for women, women being allowed to take on their husbands’ indigene-ship, passing their nationality to their foreign spouses, having 35 percent in political party leaderships, and having more appointment roles were among the modifications that failed.
The women who occupied the gate of the National Assembly in protest, gathered early at the three-arm zone and marched to the National Assembly gate chanting songs of solidarity.
The groups demand that the Federal lawmakers take another look at the requests for 111 seats for women, citizenship, 35% representation in party leadership, more appointive positions in government, and vote in favour of these amendments.
The UN Population Fund (UNPF), the Federation of Muslim Women Associations (FOMWA), the Women Organisation for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN), the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA), Women In Business (WIMBIZ), Action Aid, Yiaga Africa, and the Islamic Youth League are among the organizations that have gathered for the protest.
The women said gender equality is a development issue and not about women.
The protest comes less than 24 hours after the bill seeking to provide special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly failed.
The Bill titled ‘Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Special Seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters,’ failed after most of the lawmakers voted against it.
