We stand with women against anti-gender equity –NNII

A group, Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo (NNII), has expressed displeasure with members of the National Assembly for declining to assent to the gender equity bills and rejecting a constitutional review that could engender equity.

National Publicity Secretary of the group, Nnedinso Ogaziechi, stated this in a statement, yesterday, saying members were “not celebrating today’s International Women’s Day” because federal lawmakers had failed to support their cause.

“We are rather raising our voices to express our displeasure with members of the National Assembly, paid with tax payers’ funds that have declined to accent to the gender equity bills and a constitutional review that can engender equity. Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world because of patriarchy. Only women understand the pain of poverty and create the economic environment for prosperity.

“Women need to operate on a level playing field through the enabling laws by the National Assembly, but some members are making this impossible. Nigeria has the highest number of out-of school children in the world at more than 13 million. Most of the illiterate population is women and an uneducated woman often has many challenges raising children who can be maximally productive for national development.”

Ogaziechi also lamented that Nigeria has one of the highest maternal and child mortality in the world.

“What is a country without women and children; the women need to have equal political platforms to right the wrongs. We at Nkata Ndi Inyom Igbo insist that the Nigerian National Assembly must as a matter of urgency pass all gender equity bills to empower more women to participate actively in nation building.

“We acknowledge the efforts of some members of the National Assembly towards the passage of the bills  but we are disappointed at those who vehemently oppose equity and justice for all citizens. We are taking notes of all of them. We at Nkata stand against all biases.”