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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The National President of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalist, Ladi Bala, has said the rejection of five gender bills by the National Assembly is shameful, disgraceful retrogression and a huge tragedy in the development of Nigeria and the eye of the global community.
Bala made this known in a press release signed by her on Tuesday made available to Daily Sun via WhatsApp in celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day. 2022’s theme, “BreaktheBias”, spotlights the individual and collective biases against women that fuel gender inequality.
Adding that it is sad to witness the unacceptable rejection of the five gender bills that speak to the issues against women especially discrimination and exclusion from involvement in governance and contribution to nations building.
‘No nation that excludes more than 50 per cent of a segment of its demography can develop as expected,’ she said.
‘It is therefore pertinent to appeal to members of the federal legislatures to as a matter of urgency, necessity and in the interest of the spirit and letters of democracy to discard their earlier posture and allow for the Gender bills to be re-represented and passed into law.’
Ladi also said the NAWOJ leadership is calling on all Nigerian women to rise and demand from their representatives the fulfilment of the social contract of effective representation they signed.
‘It is equally instructive to note that the fight towards ensuring that Nigeria corrects the wrongs requires the support of patriotic men who believe in a better Nigeria,’ she noted.
Until the gender bills are reconsidered and passed into law, she stressed that Nigeria would not be seen or considered to be a full democratic nation, adding that the time to stop Gender discrimination and biases is now.
She disclosed that history would have been made by the 9th Assembly as the legislature that allowed the true definition of democracy to take its roots in Nigeria but the members chose the path of exclusion and discriminatory agenda against Nigerian women and girls.
‘”Attaining Gender Equality Today For A Sustainable Tomorrow”, which is the theme for the 2022 International Women’s Day, will remain an illusion in Nigeria except a pragmatic approach towards attaining and balancing gender-related issues in the country is adopted and respected by all,’ she explained.
She congratulated Nigerian women on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, even Though the celebration of the 2022 International Women’s Day would have been one of the best to be celebrated by not just women in Nigeria but development partners as well as gender activists if the hope of the constitution amendment on gender bills had not been dashed.
