Women leaders and advocacy groups from across Nigeria has renewed pressure on the National Assembly for the passage of the Special Seats for Women Bill, returning to the federal legislature on the day lawmakers resumed from recess to push for broader support among legislators.
The women, drawn from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, said their return became necessary because many members of the National Assembly had not received or reviewed the earlier petition submitted before lawmakers proceeded on break.
Carrying fresh copies of the petition compiled from all 36 states and 774 local government areas, the coalition urged senators and members of the House of Representatives to back the proposed legislation when it comes up for consideration.
President of the Nigeria League of Women Voters (NILOWV), Irene Awunah, said the protest was aimed at ensuring every federal legislator is fully aware of the demands of Nigerian women for more inclusive political representation.
She maintained that women remain significantly excluded from governance despite accounting for nearly half of the country’s population and contributing substantially to national development.
According to Awunah, female representation in elective office remains below five per cent nationwide, a figure she described as unacceptable and among the poorest on the African continent.
She explained that the Special Seats Bill proposes the creation of additional seats for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to address the longstanding imbalance.
Awunah said the affirmative action model has already been adopted successfully in several African countries including Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda to improve women’s participation in governance.
She appealed to lawmakers to rally support for the bill within both chambers and vote in its favour during plenary.
“We are asking members of the National Assembly to stand with Nigerian women by supporting this bill and ensuring its passage when it comes before them,” she said.
National President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Princess Edna Azura, said women across the country had resolved to speak with one voice on the issue and would continue to advocate until the bill is passed.
She said Nigeria’s poor record on women’s political inclusion contradicts the country’s commitments under various international protocols and affirmative action frameworks.
Azura noted that while some African countries have recorded over 60 per cent female representation in parliament, Nigeria continues to lag behind with barely four per cent.
She argued that Nigerian women have demonstrated competence in public office and should no longer be denied adequate political representation.
“The women are prepared, capable and qualified. We have seen many women excel in leadership positions, and there is no justification for their continued underrepresentation,” she said.
Azura added that unlike in the past, women’s groups are now united across political, regional and organisational lines in pursuit of the bill.
She said the growing consensus among women nationwide reflects the urgency of the demand for gender-balanced governance.
The Special Seats for Women Bill is one of the constitutional amendment proposals currently before the National Assembly and seeks to reserve additional legislative seats for women as a temporary affirmative measure to boost female participation in elective politics.
Similar efforts in previous assemblies failed to secure the constitutional backing required for passage.
No lawmaker addressed the demonstrators during the rally, the women, however, vowed to sustain mobilisation and advocacy until the proposed legislation is enacted.
