Lawmakers unfriendly to women, says human right group, Baobab

By Kingsley Chukwuka

A Human Right Group for women advocacy has condemned the rejection of the National Assembly (NASS), to pass the bill meant to enhance the lives of the Nigerian women.

The Right Group known as Baobab, said the decision of the lawmakers is the most unfriendly thing to do in the 21st century where women are taking over leadership in other parts of the world.

Baobab said it is also disheartening that the rejection is coming at the commencement of the Global Women’s History month which commenced on March 1, 2022.

The Group added that it is even more painful that such a bill was rejected few days to the commencement of the International Women’s Day.

“95.9 per cent of male lawmakers at the National Assembly made history as the most unfriendly set of lawmakers”, the Executive Director, Baobab, Mrs Bunmi Dipo-Salami, said in a statement sent to our correspondent in Jos, Thursday.

“The lawmakers made the unfriendly history when they voted against all the bills aimed at ensuring gender justice through the advancement of the rights of the Nigerian women as full citizens”, Dipo-Salami emphasised.

According to her: “The gender bills as proposed in the amendment of the Nigerian Constitution sought to enhance the lives of women and provide opportunities for them to participate fully in the political governance space and inclusive citizenship rights.

“The bills include; special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; Expansion of the scope of citizenship by registration (citizenship to the foreign-born husband of a Nigerian woman).

“The bills were; Affirmative action for women in political party administration (grant women 35 per cent affirmative action in party administration and leadership) and Reserved quota for women (grant 35 per cent appointed positions to women)”, she reiterated

She added that women makes up nearly half the entire country’s population in Nigeria but were underrepresented in Nigeria’s political space.

“In the 9th National Assembly, only eight out of 109 Senators are women, and only 22 out of 360 House of Representatives members are women.

“There is no female governor, and only 44 out of 990 State Houses of Assembly are women”, she lamented.

The Human Right activist, call on the National Assembly to revert it’s steps and do the needful, adding that women are not second class citizens in Nigeria.