Women Storm National Assembly For Reserved Seats Bill Passage

A coalition of women’s groups have staged a peaceful rally at the main entrance of the National Assembly, calling for the passage of the Women Reserved Seats Bill.

The bill is one of the 44 prioritised constitutional-altering bills awaiting final voting in the National Assembly.

It seeks to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the reservation of seats for women in the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly.

It intends to remedy the low representation of women in Legislative Houses by providing for special constituencies to be contested and filled by women as a temporary measure to promote women’s political representation.

Speaking at the rally, one of the advocates of the Women’s Reserved Seats Bill and former Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Ene Obi, applauded lawmakers over the progress of the proposed legislation.

However, Obi called on members of the National Assembly to hasten the passage of the bill to give women the opportunity to contest for the seats created by the piece of legislation in the 2027 general election.

“A vote for a woman is a vote for life. Women are the hope of life. And I want to urge the members of the National Assembly, we are not protesting today, we are holding a rally. We believe in non-violence. We have organised ourselves. We have not besieged the gates of the National Assembly. We are not going to the Assembly unless they invite us.

“We are calling on the members of the National Assembly to come here and address us.

We are waiting for them patiently. We are quite orderly. We don’t fight to go into that house because they have allowed us before. We have been there on the campaign for the special seats bill,” she said.

Also speaking, the representative of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Rahila Dauda, called on the National Assembly to pass the bill to save Nigeria the shame of poor female representation in the legislative and other arms of government.

“We are in total support of the bill, the special seats, and we urge the National Assembly to join with us by passing this bill. It is wrong in our view because it is a shame that a country like Nigeria, where more than half of the population is women, unfortunately, only about 5 or 4 are in the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“So the time is now, please and please, National Assembly, join us and make history to pass this bill. Nigerian women want this bill now,” she said.

For her part, Lois Auta called for 5% reservation of special seats for women with disabilities and girls as provided for in the Disability Act.

Auta said, “We are here to ask for our rights. Rights for inclusion. Rights for representation. Rights for participation in governance. In the Disability Act, 5% is enshrined for every person with disabilities, including women and girls with disabilities.

“So we want 5% reservation of special seats for women with disabilities and girls. It is time that we move from exclusion to inclusion. We are saying, include us! Including us! Include us now!”