Follow Us on Google
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Women groups that have continued to occupy National Assembly to protest the March 1 rejection of the gender bills in the ongoing amendments to the 1999 Constitution by members of the National Assembly, yesterday, said the lawmakers have declared war by their action.
In a statement by Co-founder, Womanifesto, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, WRAPA Secretary General, Saudatu Mahdi, and Chairperson, Women in Politics, Ebere Ifedu, they also called on the lawmakers to pass all rejected gender bills by March 31, to gloriously end the women’s month.
“We state unequivocally that the denial of the five gender-related bills amounts to a declaration of war on Nigerian women by the National Assembly.”
Reacting to claims by the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, that lobbying for the bills was done late, the women said they have record of series of lobbying efforts by the women groups some of them as far back as three years ago.
The women said: “We want to publicly respond to the issues raised by the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu. We have record of series of lobbying efforts by the women groups.
“International donors, including the UN Women in collaboration with the office of the Minister of Women Affairs, have over the past three years engaged with women groups through dialogues and other interventions on issues around gender in Nigeria, including the Gender Bills.”
The women reiterated their demands which are: “Urgent re-convening, reconsideration, and immediate passage of the all women/gender-related bills by the National Assembly.
“The passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEOB) Bill, currently before the Senate. Resuscitation and passage of the bill on “Support for Women Participation in Elective and Appointive positions.Immediate domestication of the African Charters Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, which Nigeria ratified in 2004.
“Immediate domestication of the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), ratified by Nigeria since 1985.
“As our representatives, we demand to know your voting pattern on sensitive matters of citizen rights. All the bills be passed by March 31 to gloriously end the women’s month.”
