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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The gender bill cluster supported by USAID and Palladium, consists of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Womamifesto, National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA), Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GCRN),SAGE and Gender Mobile is set to launch Advocacy Hashtag and Signature Campaign, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting the passage of the five gender bills in Nigeria.
In a statement issued by Founder/Executive Director WARDC, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the campaign addresses key gender gaps in the 1999 Constitution. It is also to ensure adequate awareness of the deficiencies in the constitution and to draw the attention of lawmakers and public to the need to have a representative constitution.
“The event will bring together key players in the social media and influencers in Nigeria. Women’s representation in leadership roles is dishearteningly low, both in elective and appointive positions. Despite being half of the population and voters’ register, the numbers remain dismal. The constitution itself contains provisions that perpetuate gender bias, such as the silent stance on women’s rights to confer citizenship. There is an urgent need to address these disparities and ensure gender equality and inclusion of women in all spheres of life,” Akiyode-Afolabi said.
The five gender bills include: Bill to provide special seats for women at National Assembly; Affirmative action for women in political party administration- 35 percent of executive positions, and a Bill to grant citizenship to foreign-born husbands of a Nigerian woman. Already, a Nigerian man’s foreign-born wife is automatically a Nigerian citizen.
Others are: A bill on indigenship- married women should have a choice on state of origin and have access and Inclusion of at least 10 percent affirmative action in favour of women in Ministerial appointments.
The women groups recall that in 2022, the 9th National Assembly threw out these bills, Womanifesto, a feminist non-political, women focused group with over 500 organisations across Nigeria, led the protest against the National Assembly after the bills were rejected.
Akiyode-Afolabi said the gender cluster group was formed after this rejection and have also continued with advocacy visits and media awareness on the bills and their impact on Nigerian women.
“The United Nations has repeatedly emphasised that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but also a necessary foundation for a peaceful and prosperous society (UN Women). Yet here we are – half our population marginalized due to outdated laws and societal norms”, she noted.
She added that the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, Nkiru Onyejeocha and other key influencers are expected to join the launch.
“The overarching goal of this movement is to secure the passage of the gender bills through constitutional amendments by 2024, to foster women’s rights.
“The campaign aims to ignite public discourse through the hashtags and signature campaign launch. Targeting various stakeholders, including political leaders, legislators, women in politics, and the general public.
“Accompanying this campaign is a signature petition that resonates with the urgency for change. It calls for support of the passage of the five gender bills through the constitution amendment process.”
