Gender Bills: Women quits protest as Lawmakers promise action

Protests by women’s groups against the National Assembly’s rejection of gender laws have been halted for the next seven days.

This was after the House of Representatives promised to review and revisit the bills.

On Tuesday, the leadership of the House of Representatives met with protesting women who had assembled on the grounds of the National Assembly to protest the rejection of gender-related bills in the ongoing constitution review process.

The Majority Leader assured them that the House is working on their demands and appealed that the House would within nine working days conclude work on the matter.

The protesting women had crossed the gates to the National Assembly early Tuesday morning and began their chants before they were stopped by the security agents from making their way to the chambers.

They were later addressed by the lawmakers who promised prompt response to their demands.

Women under various groups for weeks have been protesting at the National Assembly gate.

The women daily gather at the National Assembly demanding that lawmakers rescind their decision over rejection of five gender bills in the process of amendment of 1999 constitution.

The protest by the women drawn from various groups started on Wednesday, March 2, and members of the House of Representatives in reaction to their demands, on Tuesday, March 8, rescinded their decision on three of the gender bills.

The women, however, continued the protest demanding the members of the Senate join their House of Representatives in re-visiting the bills.