Gender Bills: Women Groups Storm NASS in Protest over rejection

Multiple Women Groups on Wednesday occupied the National Assembly protesting the rejection of gender-related bills by lawmakers during the constitution amendment exercise at plenary yesterday.

The women gathered early on Wednesday morning at the three-arm zone and marched to the National Assembly gate chanting songs of solidarity against the move by the lawmakers.

Although the gate of the National Assembly was shut, the women sat down at the gate and demanded that their voices must be heard.

The lawmakers during the plenary on Tuesday voted on 68 Constitution Amendment bills.

The Groups express their disappointment at the actions of the 9th National Assembly (NASS) saying they have denied women the opportunity of inclusion and representation in governance by voting against the bills..

The decision to embark on the mass protest was made after a virtual press conference in Lagos, presided over by the Founding Director of Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.

The stand by the lawmakers means women are denied 35% appointed positions, 35% affirmative action in party administration and leadership, while it declined citizenship to the foreign-born husband of a Nigerian woman.

It allows a foreign-born wife of a Nigerian to get automatic citizenship but denies women the ability to take indigeneship of their husband’s state, until after 5 years of being together.

The Women Groups drawn from different Organizations gathered at the Gate of the National Assembly in the Nations capital Abuja demanding equal rights with their male counterparts who over the years they say have dominated the political space.

The groups gathered for the protest include the 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, the Islamic Youth League, among others.

Earlier Tuesday the lawmakers rejected all women-related bills including the one seeking to give at least ten slots to women as ministers and commissioners in the federal and state governments failed at the upper legislative chamber.

The proposed gender bills in the 5th Constitution Alteration Bills that were all rejected are Bills targeted at addressing the current gender imbalance across the legislative arm of governments in the country while addressing the under-representation of women in political office.

Specifically, one of the bills among other women-related bills that failed is 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.

The bill for special seats for women was defeated in the Senate with 58 votes out of 91 while in the House of Representatives 208 out of 290 lawmakers voted against it.

The women said they were disappointed despite having assurances from the leadership of the house on the bills.

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 women groups, therefore, demanded that all rejected gender bills be reconsidered, urging lawmakers to vote in favour of the amendments.

Some of the women say the stepping down of the bills by lawmakers deny Nigerian women their rights to democracy.

In support of the bill, the wife of Vice-President Osinbajo, Dolapo attended the plenary on Tuesday. She, however, left disappointed after all the bills related to women in the constitution amendment failed.

Addressing journalists on her way out of the House chamber, Mrs Osinbajo said she remains hopeful that it is not the end of the agitation for women’s inclusion.

Also speaking on the outcome, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Kedem Tallen, said the situation was a show of shame.

While Responding Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe assured them that their message will be communicated to the leadership of the Senate.