Gender bills: NASS action a setback for women, CSO tells NASS

Under the auspices of the Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF) , a civil rights movement has urged Nigeria’s National Assembly to embrace gender equality in order to boost much-needed national development.

When the National Assembly rejected all gender-related bills during the voting on amendments to the 1999 constitution, the organization called it a “setback in the work of mainstreaming women in the country’s governance.”

Dr. Arume Salifu, the Executive Director of the AYGF, expressed these sentiments in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “As representatives of Nigerians, we were not only shocked but disappointed by the National Assembly’s actions in refusing to grant assent five Bills that had the greatest interest of women at heart in promoting and mainstreaming at the center stage of governance, political party participation, and entrenching their place in society. The advocacy by civil society organizations and women groups over the years was not heeded to by those constitutionally voted to protect the interests of women.”

Arume therefore stated that the greatest impairment to the process was the denying of 35 per cent appointed positions for women and settling for 20 percent, denying women’s affimative action in party administration and leadership; and the obstruction of seats for women in the National Assembly amongst others.

“As the 2023 elections draw nearer this would have been a wonderful opportunity to test and implement these key changes to our polity so that Nigerian women can feel not only a sense of belonging but contribute their intelligence and brilliance to national development.

“By rejecting the gender bills, the men of the 9th National Assembly have been accused of taking Nigerian women backward.”

Over 100 female support groups had said the actions of the federal lawmakers undermine the importance and relevance of women’s contribution to governance.