Women’s groups have issued a seven-day legislative ultimatum to federal lawmakers to recommit to pass the five gender constitution bills.
This call was made at a global press conference in Abuja after the suspension of daily protests outside the National Assembly.
The National Assembly had voted in early March, in a constitutional review exercise, against five so-called “gender bills” amendment bills proposed to address certain issues affecting women through the Constitution.
Since then, Women and Gender groups have occupied the doors of the federal parliament for 10 legislative days demanding the reconsideration of the bills.
This was done as a movement called #nigerianWomenOccupyNass under the auspices of WOMANIFESTO at the national and sub-national levels to ensure a coordinated response to the need to pass the five gender demands.
Although the Senate sent a delegation to address the women, no action was taken.
The House of Representatives, meanwhile, rescinded its rejection of three gender bills.
However, the women’s daily protests continued.
On Tuesday, March 22, during the usual protest, the women entered the federal parliament, forcing a Green House delegation led by House Majority Leader Alhassan Ado Doguwa to meet with the protesters. He asked them to give parliament time to work on the bills that caused the suspension of the protest.
Consequently, women’s groups held a press conference on Wednesday giving an ultimatum of seven legislative days.
“We are determined to hold them accountable to their promises to ensure that within seven legislative days, the gender bills are re-committed and voted on for inclusive growth and development in Nigeria,” Abiodun Akiyode-Afolabi said in names of women’s groups
If federal lawmakers don’t act on the bills, women’s groups vowed to go back to the gates and “we’re going to occupy it in a bigger way because they’re giving us more time to plan from state to state.”
“It is not about threatening but about affirming our presence in the country,” he added.
Details
One of the bills is on citizenship as it seeks to amend section 26 of the 1999 Constitution to grant citizenship to foreign husbands of Nigerian women, as is currently guaranteed under section 26(2)(a) for wives. foreigners of nigerian men.
The third bill, on affirmative action, is to specifically amend section 223 of the Nigerian constitution to ensure that women hold at least 35% of political party administration and appointed positions.
There is the Nomination of Ministers or Commissioners Bill to amend Sections 147 and 192 of the constitution so that at least 35% of nominees are women.
The fifth gender bill seeks to create ‘reserved seats’ by amending sections 48, 49 and 91 to create an additional 37, 74 and 108 seats for women in the Senate, House and AA state assemblies, respectively.
Lawsuits
The women have seven demands requesting the government’s attention.
They include the urgent summoning, reconsideration and immediate approval of all women/gender related bills by the National Assembly and the approval of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB), currently in the Senate.
They also called for the revival and passage of the Bill to Support Women’s Participation in Elective and Appointed Positions, the immediate incorporation of the Protocol to the African Charters on the Rights of Women in Africa, which Nigeria ratified in 2004, and the Convention of the United Nations on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW), ratified by Nigeria since 1985.
“As our representatives, we demand to know your voting pattern on sensitive citizens’ rights issues and that all bills be passed before March 31, 2022 to gloriously end women’s month,” said Ms. Akiyode-Afolabi.
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