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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
First Ladies under the auspices of Nigeria Governors Wives Forum (NGWF), have said to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD), they will participate in the Abuja and Lagos #Occupy National Assembly rallies and across the 36 states to protest the rejection of the gender bills in the ongoing amendments to the 1999 Constitution by members of the National Assembly.
In a statement signed by Chair of NGWF and First Lady Ekiti State, Bisi Fayemi, the governors wives noted that over the past three electoral cycles (2011, 2015, 2019) the number of women in the National Assembly has been in steady decline. “There are currently 109 Senators in Nigeria, with only 7 women. The House of Representatives has 360 members with only 13 women. There are at least 14 State Houses of Assembly with no women at all. There are no female Governors.
“These disturbing statistics show that there is a deep-rooted bias against women holding leadership positions, and if urgent steps are not taken, this picture will continue to go from bad to worse”, the statement read.
The governors wives described as disappointing the rejection of all five gender bills on March 1st 2022, by the National Assembly in the ongoing Constitutional Amendment exercise which currently has 68 amendments up for debate.
The governors wives noted that the International Women’s Day (IWD) is a time to reflect on the status of women and highlight the many areas in which their rights are still being undermined and assess progress made.
“It is a day for governmental and non-governmental actors, corporate bodies, development partners and social movements to make commitments to close gender gaps and address the many challenges women still confront in public and private.
“The theme for IWD 2022 as established by the United Nations is ‘Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’. In order to achieve this, we are asked to ‘Break the Bias’. The progress of women continues to meet with numerous obstacles because of prejudice and injustice, and the 2022 theme has been aptly chosen to address this.
“In Nigeria, women’s rights activists, civil society organisations and women in politics and leadership have been drawing attention to the many ways in which Nigerian women are excluded from politics and decision making.”
The governors wives said their
interpretation of what transpired with this pattern of voting against the gender bills at the National Assembly on March 1st 2022, “is that the progress of Nigerian women has been rejected. All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimization, if not total removal, of barriers millions of women face on the basis of their gender. “We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women. As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter.
“There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women, is simply stifling its own advancement.
“As Governors’ Wives, we hereby commit to the following: Ongoing engagement with a broad range of stakeholders to support the proposed Constitutional Amendments that will give us a gender-friendly constitution in Nigeria;
“Pressure on Federal and State lawmakers for them to do the right thing and be true representatives of the people, with women constituting at least 50%;
“Advice to our husbands the Governors for them to increase opportunities for women in politics and decision-making
! Advocacy with political party leaders to ensure that women in political parties can enjoy a level playing field;
“Support for women’s rights organisations who are at the forefront of demands, particularly the WOMANIFESTO platform that has been leading these activities;
“Solidarity with the handful of women at the National Assembly, who bravely continue to push for these reforms against all odds(
“Partnerships with local and international development partners who are supportive of all the strides Nigerian women are making to ensure an end to gender bias.
“As individual State First Ladies and as a collective, we will continue to promote and protect the rights of women and girls in all that we do, from policy interventions to grassroots community action.”
The governors wives commended First Lady of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, for her leadership on these issues and for taking the time to go to the National Assembly in support of these Bills. They also thanked Wife of the Vice-President, Dolapo Osinbajo, for also attending the National Assembly hearings.
They said: “We acknowledge the commitment and hard work of the Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen and we thank her for all her efforts.
“As another March 8th comes upon us, we charge Nigerian women to rise and demand that all the political, economic, social and cultural biases that keep eroding our dreams and that of our daughters be brought to an end. Our beloved country Nigeria belongs to all of us, men and women, boys and girls.”
