•House rescinds decision, reconsiders rejected gender bills in constitution amendment

Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Michael Olugbode, Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu, Juliet Akoje in Abuja, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, Segun Awofadeji in Gombe, Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia, Emma Okonji, Segun James in Lagos and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

As the world marked the International Women’s Day (IWD) yesterday with the theme, “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” President Muhammadu Buhari has extolled the virtues of Nigerian women. Buhari was joined by state governors, their wives, and lawmakers, who released statements and held ceremonies to salute the courage of the womenfolk, and pledge commitment to their increased empowerment.

That was as members of the House of Representatives at plenary yesterday rescinded their earlier decision and agreed to reconsider three out of the four gender bills they had rejected during last week’s voting on the constitution amendment.

Buhari, in statement by his media adviser, Femi Adesina, said the IWD was an opportunity to reflect on the vital role women played in society, homes, governance, the professions, and all walks of life. He observed that women were not where they should be yet in different spheres of endeavour, but believed they would not be deprived for too long, as they consistently proved they could hold their own on all fronts, and in all fields.

The president applauded the contributions of women to his administration as ministers, special advisers, senior special assistants, executive directors, and executive secretaries, among others. He said women had been pulling their weight, and making it impossible for anyone to downplay their essence.

The president rejoiced with women and mothers around whom the tranquillity of homes and society revolves, praying God to grant them peace, joy, and satisfaction as they celebrate their day and always.

Constitution Amendment: House Rescinds Decision, Reconsiders Rejected Gender Bills

The House of Representatives yesterday withdrew its earlier position and decided to re-examine three out of the four gender bills, which it rejected during last week’s voting on the constitution amendment. Following the rejection of the bills by the lawmakers, hundreds of women had besieged the National Assembly complex, blocking the main entrance to the Three-arm zone to protest the death of the bills.

The aggrieved women vowed that they were not going to leave the protest ground until the lawmakers addressed what they called bias against the womenfolk.

At plenary yesterday, Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the decision to reconsider the bills after a closed-door session. Gbajabiamila said the bills, which sought to “alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for 35 per cent affirmative action for women in political party administration; expand the scope of citizenship by registration and provide criteria for qualification to become an Indigene of a state in Nigeria,” would be re-evaluated in the coming weeks by the lawmakers.

He said after the reconsideration, any differences with the Senate would be harmonised.

Gbajabiamila said the House would be relying on the provisions of the constitution to harmonise the differences between it and the Senate.

The speaker stated, “The House, in its wisdom, has decided to take a course of action for the good of the country. That action is to rescind three of the decisions that were taken on the day of voting on constitution amendment. We will revisit them on the next set of amendment coming up within the next four weeks; they will come up again for voting.

“We will take these three bills again, if we still at that point have a difference with the Senate, we will go for harmonisation. Harmonisation might not be the best tactic when it comes to constitution matters, because I have heard this thing argued here and there, but the constitution allows the House to regulate its own procedure.

“We will be relying on the provisions of the constitution to harmonise the differences between us and the Senate.”

Consequently, Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Hassan Fulata, moved a motion to recede the rejected bills and it was thereafter put to a voice vote and all the lawmakers voted in agreement.

Speaking with journalists after plenary, Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said the decision of the lawmakers was in solidarity with the female folks on the occasion of the International Women’s Day and not because of pressure.

Benson, however, said the House did not rescind the decision on the bill to Provide for Special Seats for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly because of the constitutional constraints.

He said, “It is International Women’s Day, I congratulate the womenfolk. We rescinded three of the bills rejected during voting on constitution amendment. We did this without being under pressure; we are trying to do the right thing. If you talk about creating extra seats, the constitution itself states the maximum number. You must have a constituency that is available to run; you know what I’m saying.

“So it is an on-going conversation that we are also critically looking at. Nobody wants to leave the women behind. So, we will do our best to ensure that we try and give them the pride of place they truly deserve.

“I didn’t like what I saw outside (protest), I personally supported and voted in favour of the women bills and other lawmakers did as well.”

The lawmakers, at the plenary, also passed for Third Reading the constitution amendment bills on autonomy for local government councils, state Houses of Assembly, and judiciary, which they voted in support of last week.

Others bills passed for Third Reading included, “An Act establish the office of the Attorney -: General of the Federation and of the State Separate from the office of the Minister of Justice or Commissioner for Justice of the state in order to make the Offices of Attorney – General independent and insulated from partisanship, independent candidacy in presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly and local government council elections; and Bill to provide for the Office of Mayor for the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Abuja.

“Bills for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Move Airports from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; Bill to Establish State Security Council and for Related Matters; Bill to Empower the National Assembly and State House of Assembly Powers to Summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer Questions on issues on which the National and State Assembly have the Power to make Law; a Bill to reduce the period within which the President or the Governor of a State may authorise the withdrawal of Monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriation Act from six months to three months; Bill to provide for the State of the Nation and State Address by the President and Governor, and for Related Matters; Bill to Include Former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State, and for Related Matters.”

There were also the bills “To provide for the Termination of Tenure of certain Elected officials on Account of change of political party, and for Related Matters, and to enhance existing provisions on the formation of political parties.”

The lower chamber also introduced a bill seeking to regulate activities of real estate, and a private member bill, sponsored by Hon. Blessing Onuh and nine other lawmakers, which scaled through First Reading.

Governors’ Wives Join Protesting Women at NASS

Meanwhile, prior to the decision of the House of Representatives, wives of some governors in the country yesterday joined scores of women groups protesting what they called injustice against the female gender at the main entrance of the National Assembly.

Those present were the First Ladies of Ekiti State, Bisi Fayemi, Betty Obaseki of Edo State, and Martha Udom of Akwa Ibom State.

The team was led by Fayemi, who said they were at the protest ground to stand in solidarity for all Nigerian women.

“We are here to demand our rights. We want our leaders at the National Assembly to recognise that Nigerian women matter,” she said.

Obaseki said anyone who neglected the interest of women would lose election in Edo State.

On her part, Emmanuel, who advocated 35 per cent affirmative action for women, argued that women should be given the opportunity to contribute to the development of the society.

Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri, said women were not asking for the easy way out, but only seeking equity.

Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, voicing support for the protesting women, stated that women’s rights were human rights as well. Ojukwu added that women should not be discouraged, saying this is just the beginning of the struggle.

He assured the women that “the National Human Rights Commission is with you, standing by you, cooperating with you, support you in any way we can to make sure that truly, women’s rights are human rights.”

At the protest ground also was Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo, who noted that the struggle would count for something, saying the lawmakers have no choice but to yield to the demands of the women.

Kwara Governor Advocates Improved Participation of Women in Decision Making

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, clamoured for improved participation of women in the decision-making process in the country, saying this would make for a balanced society.

In a statement yesterday to mark the IWD celebration, signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, he said, “Whether as a girlchild, wife or mother, a woman is acknowledged for being hard working, kind, resilient, supportive, and generally committed to efforts to build a society that is conducive for all.”

The governor believed that for humanity to design a world that works for everyone, women must be in the room and be part of the process.

AbdulRazaq noted, “Women are half of humanity and there is no basis for shutting the door against them.”

While congratulating women worldwide on the occasion of the IWD, the governor commended their grit, resilience, and commitment to nation-building. He said the IWD offered a platform to clamour for improved participation of women in the decision making process for a balanced society.

He added, “I believe wholeheartedly that for us to design a world that works for everyone, women must be in the room and be part of the process.”

Inuwa Pledges Increased Opportunities for Women

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, yesterday said his administration was committed to ensuring ease of access to resources and opportunities for women.

Yahaya stated this in a message to mark the 2022 IWD. He noted that the occasion was not just a day to celebrate women, but to also reflect on the challenges they were facing and implement workable solutions towards addressing them.

The governor described women as wonderful partners in the onerous task of nation-building. He said in Gombe State, women held key cabinet positions, stressing that this is one of the steps towards demonstrating that, indeed, “We subscribe to gender mainstreaming and women empowerment.”

He encouraged them to continue to remain positive and focused as well as use their talents and motherly disposition to advance societal growth and development. He assured of his administration’s commitment to ensuring the promotion of policies and programmes that will address their needs and challenges.

Ortom Commends Courageous, Resilient Nigerian Women

Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom, commended the courage and resilience of Nigerian women.

Ortom, in a goodwill message to mark this year’s IWD, yesterday, stated that some of the challenges militating against women’s emancipation, such as cultural practices, widowhood, and inability to aspire to certain positions in the society needed to be addressed.

The governor noted that his government was at the forefront of efforts to empower Benue women politically and economically in line with the 35 per cent Beijing affirmative action.

“For instance,” he stated, “since we came in 2015, we have developed a deliberate policy to give women more opportunities to occupy political offices, which hitherto was not in place.

“We have a good number of women as appointees but above all, Benue State under my leadership has given women leadership roles as chairmen of local government areas in the state.

“In the forthcoming local government elections, our party, the PDP, has liberalised women participation by giving nine slots to women as council chairpersons. Apart from a certain percentage of women who will be appointed as secretaries of local government councils, there will be 69 elected women councillors in the 23 local governments. This is a good testimony of a government that prioritises the place of women for the development of our state and country.”

He challenged the leadership of the APC-controlled National Assembly to borrow a leaf from what he called, “the women development model from Benue State,” and not to jettison the clamour for women in the political process of the nation.

Ortom condemned the recent brutal killing of Miss Bamise, who boarded a Lagos Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) from Ajah to Oshodi, and urged the authorities to ensure the deceased family got justice.

Obaseki Celebrates Women, Pledges Support for More Representation in Elective Positions

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, linked the crisis that rocked the state’s House of Assembly to the lack of women representation. Obaseki reassured support for more women representation in elective positions.

The governor gave the assurance during an event at the Government House, Benin City, to mark this year’s IWD.

According to him, “My only regret till date is that I didn’t work hard enough during the last national elections that produced members of our state House of Assembly to bring women into the house.

“You all know the situation under which we conducted that election. And we can see the crisis that we had in the house. It was possible because we did not have a woman there.

“So, we have learned our lesson, and this election, you don’t need to preach to us.  I will go out there to campaign and more women will be elected into our state House of Assembly. The crisis we had could have been avoided if we had more voices of reasoning in that house.

“So, women get ready. You know how we do it; you know we moved from ward to ward, and will do that again in a few months’ time. Rest assured that our government will create more opportunities to support women and build structures that will allow you to achieve your goals.”

The governor, who flayed the National Assembly for rejecting bills seeking affirmative action and inclusion of women in politics and other spheres of the society, was quoted in a statement as saying, “The action of the National Assembly should serve as a turning point in our history and should spur you, women, to mobilise Nigerians for gender equality and to break the bias; do not despair.”

He further stated, “Today’s celebration would have been an epic one if the National Assembly had set aside all unfounded misgivings and biases to justify their refusal to constructive debates and approved the bills to alter the provisions of our constitution to provide affirmative action for women in our political administration and other related matters.”

Speaking on efforts to end all forms of gender bias in Edo, Obaseki said, “In Edo, we are clear. We have seen how women have contributed to making major differences in our lives. If we say we want to make Edo great again, then, the women must be at the forefront.”

In her speech, Edo First Lady, Mrs. Besty Obaseki, who was represented by the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Maryann Shaibu, also berated the National Assembly for not giving approval to the five gender bills.

Lagos First Lady Leads Rally against Rejection of Gender Bills

Following the recent rejection of some gender bills by the National Assembly, Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, yesterday led a rally of women against the rejection.

The rally was organised by the Purple Women Foundation, in collaboration with the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum, and it was tagged, “One Million Women March Against Gender Discrimination.”

The First Lady and the women marched from the Lagos State Secretariat to the House of Assembly at Alausa, Ikeja, where they were received by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa; Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshinlokun; Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade; and Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Job Creation, Hon Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, among others.

Addressing the women as part of activities to commemorate the 2022 IWD, Sanwo-Olu described the rejection of the gender bills as a brazen act of discrimination against Nigerian women. She called on the National Assembly to promptly reconsider the bills and approve them.

The governor’s wife said, “Our interpretation of what transpired with this pattern of voting at the National Assembly on March 1st, 2022 is that the progress of Nigerian women has been rejected.

“All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimisation, if not total removal of barriers, millions of women face on the basis of their gender.

“We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women. As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter.

“There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women is simply stifling its own advancement.”

The First Lady also spoke on the death of Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwole, who went missing after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and was later found dead, describing the development as sad, shocking, and devastating.

She said, “As mothers, we are devastated; we are in shock; we are not happy. Lagos State is not known for ritual killings and we will not tolerate such.

“Investigations are going on and I am sure there will be justice. Mr. Governor is not sleeping. There will certainly be justice.”

Ekweremadu Flays Failure of N’Assembly to Advance Women’s Participation in Politics

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, criticised the continued collapse of legislative efforts to advance Nigerian women’s participation in politics. Ekweremadu reiterated that only a fundamental switch to proportional representation in the nation’s electoral system could cure the malaise and guarantee women their deserved place in the governance of the nation.

In a goodwill message to Nigerian women on the occasion of the 2022 IWD yesterday, the former senate president said the situation was one of his nightmares at the helm of electoral reform and constitution amendment for many years, as there was a clear lack of understanding and political will among the political leadership and those who should know better.

He said, “I congratulate women all over the world and join other well-meaning Nigerians in celebrating Nigerian women, especially.

“In celebrating them, I also think the occasion calls for sober reflections by all, especially the political elites, over the continued collapse of every legislative effort to shore up women representation in governance structures across the country.

“I believe the International Women’s Day 2022 calls for recommitment and political will by all to rise to the demands beyond lip service.

“Should we not feel embarrassed that Rwanda occupies the first spot on the February 2022 Inter-Parliamentary Union monthly ranking of women in 192 national parliaments, whereas Nigeria places a distant 184th, only better than a few countries like Kuwait, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Eritrea, and Haiti.

“South Africa places 8th, Senegal places 19th, Mozambique places 21st, Ethiopia places 24th, while even South Sudan and Chad occupy the 54th and 56th positions, respectively, well ahead of the Giant of Africa on the same table.

“Instructively, one thing that is common among most of these nations and others with high women representation in parliament is proportional representation.”

According to the ranking senator, by law, 50 per cent of the national parliament of the United Arab Emirates is reserved for women.

Google.org Commits $1m Grant for African Women Entrepreneurs

In celebrating the IWD yesterday, Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, committed $1million in charitable funding to support programs helping African women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

The move was part of a series of new initiatives aimed at supporting women-owned businesses across Africa.

Google announced the African initiative for women and the financial commitment to support the initiate at a virtual conference yesterday.

While announcing the initiative, Head, Brand and Reputation for Africa at Google, Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, said, “Research shows that 58 per cent of small and medium-sized business (SMB) entrepreneurs in Africa are women. Despite this, women-run businesses show, on average, 34 per cent lower profits than those run by their male counterparts. They are also less likely to receive funding and investment. This is why we are announcing a series of initiatives today, aimed at providing the support women need to grow their businesses.”

In addition to the funding announcement, Google also announced another initiative called #LookMeUp, a campaign to showcase women entrepreneurs and tell their stories. These stories feature women like Vivian Nwakah in Nigeria, who launched Medsaf, a pharma supply chain solution to help Nigerians get access to quality pharmaceutical health care services; Mary Mwange, CEO and founder of Data Integrated, who is driving innovation in the mobile payments sector in Nairobi, Kenya; and Mosa Mkhize in South Africa, who launched Origins Publishers to provide her children – and others like them – with books in their home languages.

“Google is also providing free tools to support women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and has launched an intensive program to drive the discovery of women-owned businesses through Google Business Profiles,” Aderemi-Makinde further said.

Gender Equality Bills: PDP, Governors’ Wives Want National Assembly to Reconsider Position

In line with the IWD celebration, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and wives of the 36 states’ governors have asked the National Assembly to reconsider all outstanding gender bills currently before it.

In a communiqué by the wives of the governors, signed by their chairman, Bisi Fayemi, they listed the five bills that the National Assembly must revisit to include, “A bill to create additional seats for women to increase women’s representation in the Senate and House of Representatives. This bill will level the playing field and lead to a significant number of women in the National Assembly, which currently stands at five per cent.”

The bill was rejected.

Others are, “A bill to enable Nigerian women transfer citizenship to foreign husbands, a right that every Nigerian man married to a foreign spouse enjoys. The bill was rejected.

 “A bill to ensure Affirmative Action of at least 35 per cent in political party administration and appointive positions across Federal and State levels. The bill was rejected.

“A bill to ensure a minimum of 20 per cent Ministerial or Commissioner nominees are women. The bill was rejected.

“A bill to allow a woman become an indigene of her husband’s State after five years of marriage. The bill was rejected.”

According to the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ wives, the interpretation of what transpired with the pattern of voting at the National Assembly on March 1st, 2022, was that the progress of Nigerian women was been rejected.

According to Fayemi, “All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimisation, if not total removal, of barriers millions of women face on the basis of their gender. We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women.

“As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter. There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women, is simply stifling its own advancement.”

The governors’ wives, among others, said they were committed to on-going engagement with a broad range of stakeholders to support the proposed constitution amendments that would usher in a gender-friendly constitution in Nigeria

PDP Women Leader, Professor Stella Attoi, while addressing a press conference to mark the IWD, urged the National Assembly to reconsider all gender equality bills the federal lawmakers rejected recently.

Describing them as agents of development, Attoi said the National Assembly should re-present the said bills for positive reconsideration, adding that it would not be a sign of weakness, but rather that of strength. She explained that the attitudes against women in the National Assembly should be jettisoned, saying the rise of women would not in anyway make men to fall.

PDP urged the National Assembly to adopt the 35 per cent affirmative action, which is the most acceptable global standard on gender inclusion, explaining that the expectations of Nigerians on this matter should be met, which is the quick passage of the gender equality bills.

According to Attoi, “Gender balance is not solely a women’s issue. Men should be greatly involved in advancing it as no democracy without gender inclusiveness.”

She called on male senators, members of the House of Representatives, and States Assemblies to support the gender bills.

Nasarawa First Lady to Sustain Fight for Gender Equality

The First Lady of Nasarawa State, Hajiya Silifat Sule, yesterday pledged to sustain her fight for gender equality through the enhancement of girlchild and women welfare in the society.

Silifat made the pledge in a statement given to journalists in Lafia by her Special Assistant on Media, Lamino Ishaq, in commemoration of the 2022 IWD.

She lamented that one in three women in the country was at risk of one form of gender-based violence or the other, adding that insecurity in many communities has equally placed women and girls, in particular, in grave danger across the country.

The Nasarawa first lady pledged to support her husband, Governor Abdulallahi Sule, by complementing his efforts and drawing his attention to the plight of vulnerable citizens, especially women and children.

She said, “Through my pet project, Silifat Abdullahi Sule’s (SAS) Hope Foundation, I have engaged in advocacy, awareness raising and coordination of empowerment programmes to promote the well-being of women and girls.

“As ‘Gender Equality Today for A Sustainable Tomorrow’ is the theme for this year’s IWD celebration, we in Nasarawa State have witnessed that the administration of Governor Sule has, since inception, being working to close the gender inequality gap in terms of participation in governance.”

This, according to the first lady, was evident in the governor’s appointments into various positions in the apparatus of the Nasarawa State government.

“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, as well as a world where difference is valued and celebrated is what we need.”

ActionAid Nigeria Intensifies Call for Reconsideration of Rejected Gender Bills

ActionAid Nigeria also called on the National Assembly to re-present and re-consider the five proposed gender bills in the fifth Constitution Alteration Bills that were rejected by both Houses of the National Assembly.

Speaking in Abuja, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi said, “In line with this year’s theme ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, we had looked forward to really celebrating International Women’s Day 2022 because we thought it would mark a turnaround for Nigerian woman in politics, and a historic win in the struggle for women inclusion in decision making spaces, as the 2023 general elections draw closer.

“Sadly, the decision of the ninth National Assembly has threatened the achievement of adequate women representation in governance, as they have outrightly demonstrated by their votes, that they do not want women inclusion in decision making.

“If, in 2022, we still have to argue for or against the pivotal role of women in governance, it means our leaders are deliberately resistant to change and still have a lot of learning to do.

 “We, therefore, urge the leadership of the National Assembly of Nigeria to have the Gender Bills re-presented and re-considered. This is the only way to address the current gender imbalance across the legislative arms of governments and across the country.

“Nigeria’s National Gender Policy states that gender equality and women’s empowerment are basic human rights that lie at the heart of equitable development and the country is a signatory to international and regional frameworks such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights with the Optional Protocol on Women’s Rights.

“Thus, Nigeria needs to live up to her commitment to 35 per cent Affirmative Action on women inclusion across all arms of governance. Upholding this will also increase the country’s credibility in the international community.

“An inclusive governance is only possible when women sit at the decision-making tables, contribute to planning and national development to find solutions to the many problems plaguing the nation such as climate change and insecurity. No nation can progress with over 50 per cent of its population excluded from contributing to its development. Failure to recognise this is simply planning to fail from the beginning.”

ActionAid saluted Nigerian women for their strength and courage.

LCCI Salutes Nigerian Women

Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) congratulated women all over the world on this year’s IWD. According to the chamber, the theme of this year’s edition, provides us an opportunity to join voices with people around the world and shout the message for equal rights.

It noted that this year’s theme was all about recognising and amplifying the important role women and girls around the world played in addressing climate change for a more sustainable future.

LCCI stated, “Beyond the speeches and celebrations that mark the annual International Women’s Day, we use this medium to call for critical policy and social reforms that put gender equality and sustainability at the centre of governance, politics, and international affairs.

“Women should be given equal access to resources for them to add more value to society. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed that if women farmers had equal access to productive resources, their farm yields would increase by 20 to 30 per cent.

“This could provide enough food to keep 100 to 150 million people from hunger and thereby reducing global hunger to 17 per cent.”

It noted that in line with global trend, Nigerian women constituted nearly half of the population of the country.  “But despite the major roles they play with their population size, women roles in the society are yet to be given the recognition they deserve.

“This is due to some cultural stereotypes, abuse of religion, traditional practices, and patriarchal societal structures. In Nigeria, about 51 percent of women are involved in voting during elections.

“Despite this, women are still under-represented in both elective and appointive positions. The extant National Gender Policy (NGP) recommended 35 per cent affirmative action and sought for a more inclusive representation of women with at least 35 per cent of both elective political and appointive public service positions.”

I’ll Expand Women’s Political Fortunes as APC National Chairman, Says Al-Makura

As the world commemorates this year’s IWD, an aspirant for the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Tanko Al-Makura, has promised to expand the political fortunes of women if elected national chairman of the party.

Al-Makura, in a statement yesterday, lamented that Nigerian women were yet to get opportunities in governance commensurate with their contributions to the nation’s development.

He said, “It is a fact that no party, no people, and no nation can attain its goals without giving women their deserved place as a key demographic and agents of change.

“They are the political mobilisers, they constitute a large chunk of the voting population, and have acquitted themselves most creditably in the positions of authority and trust. They therefore deserve better.

“That is why we have it on top of our agenda to ensure that women take their rightful place in the scheme of things both within the APC and in the governance structures of the country as we will lobby the leaders of the party – the president, governors, lawmakers, ministers, among others – to ensure greater women representation across board.”

Al-Makura recalled that when he was governor of Nasarawa State, he appointed five women as commissioners, adding that his administration also appointed a female Secretary to the State Government.

He said mainstreaming of Nigerian women, especially the APC women, in both party and governance was a key part of his agenda for the party if elected National Chairman.

LAPO Gives Award to Six Outstanding Women for Leadership Skills

Six women bagged the Outstanding Women Leadership Award (LOWLA) organised by the Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) at a ceremony held in Benin City, Edo State capital, on Tuesday.

The awardees, which were adjudged to have done well in business, professional and agriculture, are Mary Ike-Chukwu, Martina Onah, Nwanta Nwakaego, Hajia Amina Mohammed, Olamide Akinnayajo and Hajia Hassana Haladu.

Chief Executive Officer, Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO),, Dr Godwin Ehigiamusoe said the award which was initiated in 2013, demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to women empowerment.

He said, “The award reinforces the positive image of women in Nigeria and helps in reducing the influence of negative attitudes and practices that discriminate against and exclude women in all facets of life.

“I congratulate the recipients and I must say that the latest winners bring the number of LOWLA beneficiaries from inception to 27.

“LAPO as a pro-poor and woman-focused organisation has over the years supported women’s right, socio-economic empowerment and elimination of all forms of violence against them through policy advocacy, health and social intervention programmes.”

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Akinnayajo expressed happiness over the award and the N300, 000 attached to it.

She also noted that LAPO had been instrumental to the rise of their businesses and urged the organisation to do more for women.

•House rescinds decision, reconsiders rejected gender bills in constitution amendment

Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Michael Olugbode, Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu, Juliet Akoje in Abuja, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, Segun Awofadeji in Gombe, Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia, Emma Okonji, Segun James in Lagos and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

As the world marked the International Women’s Day (IWD) yesterday with the theme, “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” President Muhammadu Buhari has extolled the virtues of Nigerian women. Buhari was joined by state governors, their wives, and lawmakers, who released statements and held ceremonies to salute the courage of the womenfolk, and pledge commitment to their increased empowerment.

That was as members of the House of Representatives at plenary yesterday rescinded their earlier decision and agreed to reconsider three out of the four gender bills they had rejected during last week’s voting on the constitution amendment.

Buhari, in statement by his media adviser, Femi Adesina, said the IWD was an opportunity to reflect on the vital role women played in society, homes, governance, the professions, and all walks of life. He observed that women were not where they should be yet in different spheres of endeavour, but believed they would not be deprived for too long, as they consistently proved they could hold their own on all fronts, and in all fields.

The president applauded the contributions of women to his administration as ministers, special advisers, senior special assistants, executive directors, and executive secretaries, among others. He said women had been pulling their weight, and making it impossible for anyone to downplay their essence.

The president rejoiced with women and mothers around whom the tranquillity of homes and society revolves, praying God to grant them peace, joy, and satisfaction as they celebrate their day and always.

Constitution Amendment: House Rescinds Decision, Reconsiders Rejected Gender Bills

The House of Representatives yesterday withdrew its earlier position and decided to re-examine three out of the four gender bills, which it rejected during last week’s voting on the constitution amendment. Following the rejection of the bills by the lawmakers, hundreds of women had besieged the National Assembly complex, blocking the main entrance to the Three-arm zone to protest the death of the bills.

The aggrieved women vowed that they were not going to leave the protest ground until the lawmakers addressed what they called bias against the womenfolk.

At plenary yesterday, Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the decision to reconsider the bills after a closed-door session. Gbajabiamila said the bills, which sought to “alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for 35 per cent affirmative action for women in political party administration; expand the scope of citizenship by registration and provide criteria for qualification to become an Indigene of a state in Nigeria,” would be re-evaluated in the coming weeks by the lawmakers.

He said after the reconsideration, any differences with the Senate would be harmonised.

Gbajabiamila said the House would be relying on the provisions of the constitution to harmonise the differences between it and the Senate.

The speaker stated, “The House, in its wisdom, has decided to take a course of action for the good of the country. That action is to rescind three of the decisions that were taken on the day of voting on constitution amendment. We will revisit them on the next set of amendment coming up within the next four weeks; they will come up again for voting.

“We will take these three bills again, if we still at that point have a difference with the Senate, we will go for harmonisation. Harmonisation might not be the best tactic when it comes to constitution matters, because I have heard this thing argued here and there, but the constitution allows the House to regulate its own procedure.

“We will be relying on the provisions of the constitution to harmonise the differences between us and the Senate.”

Consequently, Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Hassan Fulata, moved a motion to recede the rejected bills and it was thereafter put to a voice vote and all the lawmakers voted in agreement.

Speaking with journalists after plenary, Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said the decision of the lawmakers was in solidarity with the female folks on the occasion of the International Women’s Day and not because of pressure.

Benson, however, said the House did not rescind the decision on the bill to Provide for Special Seats for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly because of the constitutional constraints.

He said, “It is International Women’s Day, I congratulate the womenfolk. We rescinded three of the bills rejected during voting on constitution amendment. We did this without being under pressure; we are trying to do the right thing. If you talk about creating extra seats, the constitution itself states the maximum number. You must have a constituency that is available to run; you know what I’m saying.

“So it is an on-going conversation that we are also critically looking at. Nobody wants to leave the women behind. So, we will do our best to ensure that we try and give them the pride of place they truly deserve.

“I didn’t like what I saw outside (protest), I personally supported and voted in favour of the women bills and other lawmakers did as well.”

The lawmakers, at the plenary, also passed for Third Reading the constitution amendment bills on autonomy for local government councils, state Houses of Assembly, and judiciary, which they voted in support of last week.

Others bills passed for Third Reading included, “An Act establish the office of the Attorney -: General of the Federation and of the State Separate from the office of the Minister of Justice or Commissioner for Justice of the state in order to make the Offices of Attorney – General independent and insulated from partisanship, independent candidacy in presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly and local government council elections; and Bill to provide for the Office of Mayor for the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Abuja.

“Bills for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Move Airports from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; Bill to Establish State Security Council and for Related Matters; Bill to Empower the National Assembly and State House of Assembly Powers to Summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer Questions on issues on which the National and State Assembly have the Power to make Law; a Bill to reduce the period within which the President or the Governor of a State may authorise the withdrawal of Monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriation Act from six months to three months; Bill to provide for the State of the Nation and State Address by the President and Governor, and for Related Matters; Bill to Include Former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State, and for Related Matters.”

There were also the bills “To provide for the Termination of Tenure of certain Elected officials on Account of change of political party, and for Related Matters, and to enhance existing provisions on the formation of political parties.”

The lower chamber also introduced a bill seeking to regulate activities of real estate, and a private member bill, sponsored by Hon. Blessing Onuh and nine other lawmakers, which scaled through First Reading.

Governors’ Wives Join Protesting Women at NASS

Meanwhile, prior to the decision of the House of Representatives, wives of some governors in the country yesterday joined scores of women groups protesting what they called injustice against the female gender at the main entrance of the National Assembly.

Those present were the First Ladies of Ekiti State, Bisi Fayemi, Betty Obaseki of Edo State, and Martha Udom of Akwa Ibom State.

The team was led by Fayemi, who said they were at the protest ground to stand in solidarity for all Nigerian women.

“We are here to demand our rights. We want our leaders at the National Assembly to recognise that Nigerian women matter,” she said.

Obaseki said anyone who neglected the interest of women would lose election in Edo State.

On her part, Emmanuel, who advocated 35 per cent affirmative action for women, argued that women should be given the opportunity to contribute to the development of the society.

Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri, said women were not asking for the easy way out, but only seeking equity.

Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, voicing support for the protesting women, stated that women’s rights were human rights as well. Ojukwu added that women should not be discouraged, saying this is just the beginning of the struggle.

He assured the women that “the National Human Rights Commission is with you, standing by you, cooperating with you, support you in any way we can to make sure that truly, women’s rights are human rights.”

At the protest ground also was Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo, who noted that the struggle would count for something, saying the lawmakers have no choice but to yield to the demands of the women.

Kwara Governor Advocates Improved Participation of Women in Decision Making

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, clamoured for improved participation of women in the decision-making process in the country, saying this would make for a balanced society.

In a statement yesterday to mark the IWD celebration, signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, he said, “Whether as a girlchild, wife or mother, a woman is acknowledged for being hard working, kind, resilient, supportive, and generally committed to efforts to build a society that is conducive for all.”

The governor believed that for humanity to design a world that works for everyone, women must be in the room and be part of the process.

AbdulRazaq noted, “Women are half of humanity and there is no basis for shutting the door against them.”

While congratulating women worldwide on the occasion of the IWD, the governor commended their grit, resilience, and commitment to nation-building. He said the IWD offered a platform to clamour for improved participation of women in the decision making process for a balanced society.

He added, “I believe wholeheartedly that for us to design a world that works for everyone, women must be in the room and be part of the process.”

Inuwa Pledges Increased Opportunities for Women

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, yesterday said his administration was committed to ensuring ease of access to resources and opportunities for women.

Yahaya stated this in a message to mark the 2022 IWD. He noted that the occasion was not just a day to celebrate women, but to also reflect on the challenges they were facing and implement workable solutions towards addressing them.

The governor described women as wonderful partners in the onerous task of nation-building. He said in Gombe State, women held key cabinet positions, stressing that this is one of the steps towards demonstrating that, indeed, “We subscribe to gender mainstreaming and women empowerment.”

He encouraged them to continue to remain positive and focused as well as use their talents and motherly disposition to advance societal growth and development. He assured of his administration’s commitment to ensuring the promotion of policies and programmes that will address their needs and challenges.

Ortom Commends Courageous, Resilient Nigerian Women

Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom, commended the courage and resilience of Nigerian women.

Ortom, in a goodwill message to mark this year’s IWD, yesterday, stated that some of the challenges militating against women’s emancipation, such as cultural practices, widowhood, and inability to aspire to certain positions in the society needed to be addressed.

The governor noted that his government was at the forefront of efforts to empower Benue women politically and economically in line with the 35 per cent Beijing affirmative action.

“For instance,” he stated, “since we came in 2015, we have developed a deliberate policy to give women more opportunities to occupy political offices, which hitherto was not in place.

“We have a good number of women as appointees but above all, Benue State under my leadership has given women leadership roles as chairmen of local government areas in the state.

“In the forthcoming local government elections, our party, the PDP, has liberalised women participation by giving nine slots to women as council chairpersons. Apart from a certain percentage of women who will be appointed as secretaries of local government councils, there will be 69 elected women councillors in the 23 local governments. This is a good testimony of a government that prioritises the place of women for the development of our state and country.”

He challenged the leadership of the APC-controlled National Assembly to borrow a leaf from what he called, “the women development model from Benue State,” and not to jettison the clamour for women in the political process of the nation.

Ortom condemned the recent brutal killing of Miss Bamise, who boarded a Lagos Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) from Ajah to Oshodi, and urged the authorities to ensure the deceased family got justice.

Obaseki Celebrates Women, Pledges Support for More Representation in Elective Positions

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, linked the crisis that rocked the state’s House of Assembly to the lack of women representation. Obaseki reassured support for more women representation in elective positions.

The governor gave the assurance during an event at the Government House, Benin City, to mark this year’s IWD.

According to him, “My only regret till date is that I didn’t work hard enough during the last national elections that produced members of our state House of Assembly to bring women into the house.

“You all know the situation under which we conducted that election. And we can see the crisis that we had in the house. It was possible because we did not have a woman there.

“So, we have learned our lesson, and this election, you don’t need to preach to us.  I will go out there to campaign and more women will be elected into our state House of Assembly. The crisis we had could have been avoided if we had more voices of reasoning in that house.

“So, women get ready. You know how we do it; you know we moved from ward to ward, and will do that again in a few months’ time. Rest assured that our government will create more opportunities to support women and build structures that will allow you to achieve your goals.”

The governor, who flayed the National Assembly for rejecting bills seeking affirmative action and inclusion of women in politics and other spheres of the society, was quoted in a statement as saying, “The action of the National Assembly should serve as a turning point in our history and should spur you, women, to mobilise Nigerians for gender equality and to break the bias; do not despair.”

He further stated, “Today’s celebration would have been an epic one if the National Assembly had set aside all unfounded misgivings and biases to justify their refusal to constructive debates and approved the bills to alter the provisions of our constitution to provide affirmative action for women in our political administration and other related matters.”

Speaking on efforts to end all forms of gender bias in Edo, Obaseki said, “In Edo, we are clear. We have seen how women have contributed to making major differences in our lives. If we say we want to make Edo great again, then, the women must be at the forefront.”

In her speech, Edo First Lady, Mrs. Besty Obaseki, who was represented by the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Maryann Shaibu, also berated the National Assembly for not giving approval to the five gender bills.

Lagos First Lady Leads Rally against Rejection of Gender Bills

Following the recent rejection of some gender bills by the National Assembly, Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, yesterday led a rally of women against the rejection.

The rally was organised by the Purple Women Foundation, in collaboration with the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum, and it was tagged, “One Million Women March Against Gender Discrimination.”

The First Lady and the women marched from the Lagos State Secretariat to the House of Assembly at Alausa, Ikeja, where they were received by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa; Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshinlokun; Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade; and Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Job Creation, Hon Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, among others.

Addressing the women as part of activities to commemorate the 2022 IWD, Sanwo-Olu described the rejection of the gender bills as a brazen act of discrimination against Nigerian women. She called on the National Assembly to promptly reconsider the bills and approve them.

The governor’s wife said, “Our interpretation of what transpired with this pattern of voting at the National Assembly on March 1st, 2022 is that the progress of Nigerian women has been rejected.

“All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimisation, if not total removal of barriers, millions of women face on the basis of their gender.

“We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women. As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter.

“There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women is simply stifling its own advancement.”

The First Lady also spoke on the death of Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwole, who went missing after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and was later found dead, describing the development as sad, shocking, and devastating.

She said, “As mothers, we are devastated; we are in shock; we are not happy. Lagos State is not known for ritual killings and we will not tolerate such.

“Investigations are going on and I am sure there will be justice. Mr. Governor is not sleeping. There will certainly be justice.”

Ekweremadu Flays Failure of N’Assembly to Advance Women’s Participation in Politics

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, criticised the continued collapse of legislative efforts to advance Nigerian women’s participation in politics. Ekweremadu reiterated that only a fundamental switch to proportional representation in the nation’s electoral system could cure the malaise and guarantee women their deserved place in the governance of the nation.

In a goodwill message to Nigerian women on the occasion of the 2022 IWD yesterday, the former senate president said the situation was one of his nightmares at the helm of electoral reform and constitution amendment for many years, as there was a clear lack of understanding and political will among the political leadership and those who should know better.

He said, “I congratulate women all over the world and join other well-meaning Nigerians in celebrating Nigerian women, especially.

“In celebrating them, I also think the occasion calls for sober reflections by all, especially the political elites, over the continued collapse of every legislative effort to shore up women representation in governance structures across the country.

“I believe the International Women’s Day 2022 calls for recommitment and political will by all to rise to the demands beyond lip service.

“Should we not feel embarrassed that Rwanda occupies the first spot on the February 2022 Inter-Parliamentary Union monthly ranking of women in 192 national parliaments, whereas Nigeria places a distant 184th, only better than a few countries like Kuwait, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Eritrea, and Haiti.

“South Africa places 8th, Senegal places 19th, Mozambique places 21st, Ethiopia places 24th, while even South Sudan and Chad occupy the 54th and 56th positions, respectively, well ahead of the Giant of Africa on the same table.

“Instructively, one thing that is common among most of these nations and others with high women representation in parliament is proportional representation.”

According to the ranking senator, by law, 50 per cent of the national parliament of the United Arab Emirates is reserved for women.

Google.org Commits $1m Grant for African Women Entrepreneurs

In celebrating the IWD yesterday, Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, committed $1million in charitable funding to support programs helping African women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

The move was part of a series of new initiatives aimed at supporting women-owned businesses across Africa.

Google announced the African initiative for women and the financial commitment to support the initiate at a virtual conference yesterday.

While announcing the initiative, Head, Brand and Reputation for Africa at Google, Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, said, “Research shows that 58 per cent of small and medium-sized business (SMB) entrepreneurs in Africa are women. Despite this, women-run businesses show, on average, 34 per cent lower profits than those run by their male counterparts. They are also less likely to receive funding and investment. This is why we are announcing a series of initiatives today, aimed at providing the support women need to grow their businesses.”

In addition to the funding announcement, Google also announced another initiative called #LookMeUp, a campaign to showcase women entrepreneurs and tell their stories. These stories feature women like Vivian Nwakah in Nigeria, who launched Medsaf, a pharma supply chain solution to help Nigerians get access to quality pharmaceutical health care services; Mary Mwange, CEO and founder of Data Integrated, who is driving innovation in the mobile payments sector in Nairobi, Kenya; and Mosa Mkhize in South Africa, who launched Origins Publishers to provide her children – and others like them – with books in their home languages.

“Google is also providing free tools to support women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and has launched an intensive program to drive the discovery of women-owned businesses through Google Business Profiles,” Aderemi-Makinde further said.

Gender Equality Bills: PDP, Governors’ Wives Want National Assembly to Reconsider Position

In line with the IWD celebration, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and wives of the 36 states’ governors have asked the National Assembly to reconsider all outstanding gender bills currently before it.

In a communiqué by the wives of the governors, signed by their chairman, Bisi Fayemi, they listed the five bills that the National Assembly must revisit to include, “A bill to create additional seats for women to increase women’s representation in the Senate and House of Representatives. This bill will level the playing field and lead to a significant number of women in the National Assembly, which currently stands at five per cent.”

The bill was rejected.

Others are, “A bill to enable Nigerian women transfer citizenship to foreign husbands, a right that every Nigerian man married to a foreign spouse enjoys. The bill was rejected.

 “A bill to ensure Affirmative Action of at least 35 per cent in political party administration and appointive positions across Federal and State levels. The bill was rejected.

“A bill to ensure a minimum of 20 per cent Ministerial or Commissioner nominees are women. The bill was rejected.

“A bill to allow a woman become an indigene of her husband’s State after five years of marriage. The bill was rejected.”

According to the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ wives, the interpretation of what transpired with the pattern of voting at the National Assembly on March 1st, 2022, was that the progress of Nigerian women was been rejected.

According to Fayemi, “All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimisation, if not total removal, of barriers millions of women face on the basis of their gender. We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women.

“As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter. There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women, is simply stifling its own advancement.”

The governors’ wives, among others, said they were committed to on-going engagement with a broad range of stakeholders to support the proposed constitution amendments that would usher in a gender-friendly constitution in Nigeria

PDP Women Leader, Professor Stella Attoi, while addressing a press conference to mark the IWD, urged the National Assembly to reconsider all gender equality bills the federal lawmakers rejected recently.

Describing them as agents of development, Attoi said the National Assembly should re-present the said bills for positive reconsideration, adding that it would not be a sign of weakness, but rather that of strength. She explained that the attitudes against women in the National Assembly should be jettisoned, saying the rise of women would not in anyway make men to fall.

PDP urged the National Assembly to adopt the 35 per cent affirmative action, which is the most acceptable global standard on gender inclusion, explaining that the expectations of Nigerians on this matter should be met, which is the quick passage of the gender equality bills.

According to Attoi, “Gender balance is not solely a women’s issue. Men should be greatly involved in advancing it as no democracy without gender inclusiveness.”

She called on male senators, members of the House of Representatives, and States Assemblies to support the gender bills.

Nasarawa First Lady to Sustain Fight for Gender Equality

The First Lady of Nasarawa State, Hajiya Silifat Sule, yesterday pledged to sustain her fight for gender equality through the enhancement of girlchild and women welfare in the society.

Silifat made the pledge in a statement given to journalists in Lafia by her Special Assistant on Media, Lamino Ishaq, in commemoration of the 2022 IWD.

She lamented that one in three women in the country was at risk of one form of gender-based violence or the other, adding that insecurity in many communities has equally placed women and girls, in particular, in grave danger across the country.

The Nasarawa first lady pledged to support her husband, Governor Abdulallahi Sule, by complementing his efforts and drawing his attention to the plight of vulnerable citizens, especially women and children.

She said, “Through my pet project, Silifat Abdullahi Sule’s (SAS) Hope Foundation, I have engaged in advocacy, awareness raising and coordination of empowerment programmes to promote the well-being of women and girls.

“As ‘Gender Equality Today for A Sustainable Tomorrow’ is the theme for this year’s IWD celebration, we in Nasarawa State have witnessed that the administration of Governor Sule has, since inception, being working to close the gender inequality gap in terms of participation in governance.”

This, according to the first lady, was evident in the governor’s appointments into various positions in the apparatus of the Nasarawa State government.

“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, as well as a world where difference is valued and celebrated is what we need.”

ActionAid Nigeria Intensifies Call for Reconsideration of Rejected Gender Bills

ActionAid Nigeria also called on the National Assembly to re-present and re-consider the five proposed gender bills in the fifth Constitution Alteration Bills that were rejected by both Houses of the National Assembly.

Speaking in Abuja, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi said, “In line with this year’s theme ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, we had looked forward to really celebrating International Women’s Day 2022 because we thought it would mark a turnaround for Nigerian woman in politics, and a historic win in the struggle for women inclusion in decision making spaces, as the 2023 general elections draw closer.

“Sadly, the decision of the ninth National Assembly has threatened the achievement of adequate women representation in governance, as they have outrightly demonstrated by their votes, that they do not want women inclusion in decision making.

“If, in 2022, we still have to argue for or against the pivotal role of women in governance, it means our leaders are deliberately resistant to change and still have a lot of learning to do.

 “We, therefore, urge the leadership of the National Assembly of Nigeria to have the Gender Bills re-presented and re-considered. This is the only way to address the current gender imbalance across the legislative arms of governments and across the country.

“Nigeria’s National Gender Policy states that gender equality and women’s empowerment are basic human rights that lie at the heart of equitable development and the country is a signatory to international and regional frameworks such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights with the Optional Protocol on Women’s Rights.

“Thus, Nigeria needs to live up to her commitment to 35 per cent Affirmative Action on women inclusion across all arms of governance. Upholding this will also increase the country’s credibility in the international community.

“An inclusive governance is only possible when women sit at the decision-making tables, contribute to planning and national development to find solutions to the many problems plaguing the nation such as climate change and insecurity. No nation can progress with over 50 per cent of its population excluded from contributing to its development. Failure to recognise this is simply planning to fail from the beginning.”

ActionAid saluted Nigerian women for their strength and courage.

LCCI Salutes Nigerian Women

Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) congratulated women all over the world on this year’s IWD. According to the chamber, the theme of this year’s edition, provides us an opportunity to join voices with people around the world and shout the message for equal rights.

It noted that this year’s theme was all about recognising and amplifying the important role women and girls around the world played in addressing climate change for a more sustainable future.

LCCI stated, “Beyond the speeches and celebrations that mark the annual International Women’s Day, we use this medium to call for critical policy and social reforms that put gender equality and sustainability at the centre of governance, politics, and international affairs.

“Women should be given equal access to resources for them to add more value to society. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed that if women farmers had equal access to productive resources, their farm yields would increase by 20 to 30 per cent.

“This could provide enough food to keep 100 to 150 million people from hunger and thereby reducing global hunger to 17 per cent.”

It noted that in line with global trend, Nigerian women constituted nearly half of the population of the country.  “But despite the major roles they play with their population size, women roles in the society are yet to be given the recognition they deserve.

“This is due to some cultural stereotypes, abuse of religion, traditional practices, and patriarchal societal structures. In Nigeria, about 51 percent of women are involved in voting during elections.

“Despite this, women are still under-represented in both elective and appointive positions. The extant National Gender Policy (NGP) recommended 35 per cent affirmative action and sought for a more inclusive representation of women with at least 35 per cent of both elective political and appointive public service positions.”

I’ll Expand Women’s Political Fortunes as APC National Chairman, Says Al-Makura

As the world commemorates this year’s IWD, an aspirant for the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Tanko Al-Makura, has promised to expand the political fortunes of women if elected national chairman of the party.

Al-Makura, in a statement yesterday, lamented that Nigerian women were yet to get opportunities in governance commensurate with their contributions to the nation’s development.

He said, “It is a fact that no party, no people, and no nation can attain its goals without giving women their deserved place as a key demographic and agents of change.

“They are the political mobilisers, they constitute a large chunk of the voting population, and have acquitted themselves most creditably in the positions of authority and trust. They therefore deserve better.

“That is why we have it on top of our agenda to ensure that women take their rightful place in the scheme of things both within the APC and in the governance structures of the country as we will lobby the leaders of the party – the president, governors, lawmakers, ministers, among others – to ensure greater women representation across board.”

Al-Makura recalled that when he was governor of Nasarawa State, he appointed five women as commissioners, adding that his administration also appointed a female Secretary to the State Government.

He said mainstreaming of Nigerian women, especially the APC women, in both party and governance was a key part of his agenda for the party if elected National Chairman.

LAPO Gives Award to Six Outstanding Women for Leadership Skills

Six women bagged the Outstanding Women Leadership Award (LOWLA) organised by the Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) at a ceremony held in Benin City, Edo State capital, on Tuesday.

The awardees, which were adjudged to have done well in business, professional and agriculture, are Mary Ike-Chukwu, Martina Onah, Nwanta Nwakaego, Hajia Amina Mohammed, Olamide Akinnayajo and Hajia Hassana Haladu.

Chief Executive Officer, Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO),, Dr Godwin Ehigiamusoe said the award which was initiated in 2013, demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to women empowerment.

He said, “The award reinforces the positive image of women in Nigeria and helps in reducing the influence of negative attitudes and practices that discriminate against and exclude women in all facets of life.

“I congratulate the recipients and I must say that the latest winners bring the number of LOWLA beneficiaries from inception to 27.

“LAPO as a pro-poor and woman-focused organisation has over the years supported women’s right, socio-economic empowerment and elimination of all forms of violence against them through policy advocacy, health and social intervention programmes.”

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Akinnayajo expressed happiness over the award and the N300, 000 attached to it.

She also noted that LAPO had been instrumental to the rise of their businesses and urged the organisation to do more for women.

•House rescinds decision, reconsiders rejected gender bills in constitution amendment

Chuks Okocha, Deji Elumoye, Michael Olugbode, Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu, Juliet Akoje in Abuja, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin, Segun Awofadeji in Gombe, Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia, Emma Okonji, Segun James in Lagos and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

As the world marked the International Women’s Day (IWD) yesterday with the theme, “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” President Muhammadu Buhari has extolled the virtues of Nigerian women. Buhari was joined by state governors, their wives, and lawmakers, who released statements and held ceremonies to salute the courage of the womenfolk, and pledge commitment to their increased empowerment.

That was as members of the House of Representatives at plenary yesterday rescinded their earlier decision and agreed to reconsider three out of the four gender bills they had rejected during last week’s voting on the constitution amendment.

Buhari, in statement by his media adviser, Femi Adesina, said the IWD was an opportunity to reflect on the vital role women played in society, homes, governance, the professions, and all walks of life. He observed that women were not where they should be yet in different spheres of endeavour, but believed they would not be deprived for too long, as they consistently proved they could hold their own on all fronts, and in all fields.

The president applauded the contributions of women to his administration as ministers, special advisers, senior special assistants, executive directors, and executive secretaries, among others. He said women had been pulling their weight, and making it impossible for anyone to downplay their essence.

The president rejoiced with women and mothers around whom the tranquillity of homes and society revolves, praying God to grant them peace, joy, and satisfaction as they celebrate their day and always.

Constitution Amendment: House Rescinds Decision, Reconsiders Rejected Gender Bills

The House of Representatives yesterday withdrew its earlier position and decided to re-examine three out of the four gender bills, which it rejected during last week’s voting on the constitution amendment. Following the rejection of the bills by the lawmakers, hundreds of women had besieged the National Assembly complex, blocking the main entrance to the Three-arm zone to protest the death of the bills.

The aggrieved women vowed that they were not going to leave the protest ground until the lawmakers addressed what they called bias against the womenfolk.

At plenary yesterday, Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed the decision to reconsider the bills after a closed-door session. Gbajabiamila said the bills, which sought to “alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for 35 per cent affirmative action for women in political party administration; expand the scope of citizenship by registration and provide criteria for qualification to become an Indigene of a state in Nigeria,” would be re-evaluated in the coming weeks by the lawmakers.

He said after the reconsideration, any differences with the Senate would be harmonised.

Gbajabiamila said the House would be relying on the provisions of the constitution to harmonise the differences between it and the Senate.

The speaker stated, “The House, in its wisdom, has decided to take a course of action for the good of the country. That action is to rescind three of the decisions that were taken on the day of voting on constitution amendment. We will revisit them on the next set of amendment coming up within the next four weeks; they will come up again for voting.

“We will take these three bills again, if we still at that point have a difference with the Senate, we will go for harmonisation. Harmonisation might not be the best tactic when it comes to constitution matters, because I have heard this thing argued here and there, but the constitution allows the House to regulate its own procedure.

“We will be relying on the provisions of the constitution to harmonise the differences between us and the Senate.”

Consequently, Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Hassan Fulata, moved a motion to recede the rejected bills and it was thereafter put to a voice vote and all the lawmakers voted in agreement.

Speaking with journalists after plenary, Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said the decision of the lawmakers was in solidarity with the female folks on the occasion of the International Women’s Day and not because of pressure.

Benson, however, said the House did not rescind the decision on the bill to Provide for Special Seats for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly because of the constitutional constraints.

He said, “It is International Women’s Day, I congratulate the womenfolk. We rescinded three of the bills rejected during voting on constitution amendment. We did this without being under pressure; we are trying to do the right thing. If you talk about creating extra seats, the constitution itself states the maximum number. You must have a constituency that is available to run; you know what I’m saying.

“So it is an on-going conversation that we are also critically looking at. Nobody wants to leave the women behind. So, we will do our best to ensure that we try and give them the pride of place they truly deserve.

“I didn’t like what I saw outside (protest), I personally supported and voted in favour of the women bills and other lawmakers did as well.”

The lawmakers, at the plenary, also passed for Third Reading the constitution amendment bills on autonomy for local government councils, state Houses of Assembly, and judiciary, which they voted in support of last week.

Others bills passed for Third Reading included, “An Act establish the office of the Attorney -: General of the Federation and of the State Separate from the office of the Minister of Justice or Commissioner for Justice of the state in order to make the Offices of Attorney – General independent and insulated from partisanship, independent candidacy in presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly and local government council elections; and Bill to provide for the Office of Mayor for the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Abuja.

“Bills for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Move Airports from Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; Bill to Establish State Security Council and for Related Matters; Bill to Empower the National Assembly and State House of Assembly Powers to Summon the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governors of States to answer Questions on issues on which the National and State Assembly have the Power to make Law; a Bill to reduce the period within which the President or the Governor of a State may authorise the withdrawal of Monies from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in the absence of an Appropriation Act from six months to three months; Bill to provide for the State of the Nation and State Address by the President and Governor, and for Related Matters; Bill to Include Former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State, and for Related Matters.”

There were also the bills “To provide for the Termination of Tenure of certain Elected officials on Account of change of political party, and for Related Matters, and to enhance existing provisions on the formation of political parties.”

The lower chamber also introduced a bill seeking to regulate activities of real estate, and a private member bill, sponsored by Hon. Blessing Onuh and nine other lawmakers, which scaled through First Reading.

Governors’ Wives Join Protesting Women at NASS

Meanwhile, prior to the decision of the House of Representatives, wives of some governors in the country yesterday joined scores of women groups protesting what they called injustice against the female gender at the main entrance of the National Assembly.

Those present were the First Ladies of Ekiti State, Bisi Fayemi, Betty Obaseki of Edo State, and Martha Udom of Akwa Ibom State.

The team was led by Fayemi, who said they were at the protest ground to stand in solidarity for all Nigerian women.

“We are here to demand our rights. We want our leaders at the National Assembly to recognise that Nigerian women matter,” she said.

Obaseki said anyone who neglected the interest of women would lose election in Edo State.

On her part, Emmanuel, who advocated 35 per cent affirmative action for women, argued that women should be given the opportunity to contribute to the development of the society.

Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri, said women were not asking for the easy way out, but only seeking equity.

Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, voicing support for the protesting women, stated that women’s rights were human rights as well. Ojukwu added that women should not be discouraged, saying this is just the beginning of the struggle.

He assured the women that “the National Human Rights Commission is with you, standing by you, cooperating with you, support you in any way we can to make sure that truly, women’s rights are human rights.”

At the protest ground also was Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo, who noted that the struggle would count for something, saying the lawmakers have no choice but to yield to the demands of the women.

Kwara Governor Advocates Improved Participation of Women in Decision Making

Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, clamoured for improved participation of women in the decision-making process in the country, saying this would make for a balanced society.

In a statement yesterday to mark the IWD celebration, signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, he said, “Whether as a girlchild, wife or mother, a woman is acknowledged for being hard working, kind, resilient, supportive, and generally committed to efforts to build a society that is conducive for all.”

The governor believed that for humanity to design a world that works for everyone, women must be in the room and be part of the process.

AbdulRazaq noted, “Women are half of humanity and there is no basis for shutting the door against them.”

While congratulating women worldwide on the occasion of the IWD, the governor commended their grit, resilience, and commitment to nation-building. He said the IWD offered a platform to clamour for improved participation of women in the decision making process for a balanced society.

He added, “I believe wholeheartedly that for us to design a world that works for everyone, women must be in the room and be part of the process.”

Inuwa Pledges Increased Opportunities for Women

Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, yesterday said his administration was committed to ensuring ease of access to resources and opportunities for women.

Yahaya stated this in a message to mark the 2022 IWD. He noted that the occasion was not just a day to celebrate women, but to also reflect on the challenges they were facing and implement workable solutions towards addressing them.

The governor described women as wonderful partners in the onerous task of nation-building. He said in Gombe State, women held key cabinet positions, stressing that this is one of the steps towards demonstrating that, indeed, “We subscribe to gender mainstreaming and women empowerment.”

He encouraged them to continue to remain positive and focused as well as use their talents and motherly disposition to advance societal growth and development. He assured of his administration’s commitment to ensuring the promotion of policies and programmes that will address their needs and challenges.

Ortom Commends Courageous, Resilient Nigerian Women

Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom, commended the courage and resilience of Nigerian women.

Ortom, in a goodwill message to mark this year’s IWD, yesterday, stated that some of the challenges militating against women’s emancipation, such as cultural practices, widowhood, and inability to aspire to certain positions in the society needed to be addressed.

The governor noted that his government was at the forefront of efforts to empower Benue women politically and economically in line with the 35 per cent Beijing affirmative action.

“For instance,” he stated, “since we came in 2015, we have developed a deliberate policy to give women more opportunities to occupy political offices, which hitherto was not in place.

“We have a good number of women as appointees but above all, Benue State under my leadership has given women leadership roles as chairmen of local government areas in the state.

“In the forthcoming local government elections, our party, the PDP, has liberalised women participation by giving nine slots to women as council chairpersons. Apart from a certain percentage of women who will be appointed as secretaries of local government councils, there will be 69 elected women councillors in the 23 local governments. This is a good testimony of a government that prioritises the place of women for the development of our state and country.”

He challenged the leadership of the APC-controlled National Assembly to borrow a leaf from what he called, “the women development model from Benue State,” and not to jettison the clamour for women in the political process of the nation.

Ortom condemned the recent brutal killing of Miss Bamise, who boarded a Lagos Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) from Ajah to Oshodi, and urged the authorities to ensure the deceased family got justice.

Obaseki Celebrates Women, Pledges Support for More Representation in Elective Positions

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, linked the crisis that rocked the state’s House of Assembly to the lack of women representation. Obaseki reassured support for more women representation in elective positions.

The governor gave the assurance during an event at the Government House, Benin City, to mark this year’s IWD.

According to him, “My only regret till date is that I didn’t work hard enough during the last national elections that produced members of our state House of Assembly to bring women into the house.

“You all know the situation under which we conducted that election. And we can see the crisis that we had in the house. It was possible because we did not have a woman there.

“So, we have learned our lesson, and this election, you don’t need to preach to us.  I will go out there to campaign and more women will be elected into our state House of Assembly. The crisis we had could have been avoided if we had more voices of reasoning in that house.

“So, women get ready. You know how we do it; you know we moved from ward to ward, and will do that again in a few months’ time. Rest assured that our government will create more opportunities to support women and build structures that will allow you to achieve your goals.”

The governor, who flayed the National Assembly for rejecting bills seeking affirmative action and inclusion of women in politics and other spheres of the society, was quoted in a statement as saying, “The action of the National Assembly should serve as a turning point in our history and should spur you, women, to mobilise Nigerians for gender equality and to break the bias; do not despair.”

He further stated, “Today’s celebration would have been an epic one if the National Assembly had set aside all unfounded misgivings and biases to justify their refusal to constructive debates and approved the bills to alter the provisions of our constitution to provide affirmative action for women in our political administration and other related matters.”

Speaking on efforts to end all forms of gender bias in Edo, Obaseki said, “In Edo, we are clear. We have seen how women have contributed to making major differences in our lives. If we say we want to make Edo great again, then, the women must be at the forefront.”

In her speech, Edo First Lady, Mrs. Besty Obaseki, who was represented by the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Maryann Shaibu, also berated the National Assembly for not giving approval to the five gender bills.

Lagos First Lady Leads Rally against Rejection of Gender Bills

Following the recent rejection of some gender bills by the National Assembly, Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, yesterday led a rally of women against the rejection.

The rally was organised by the Purple Women Foundation, in collaboration with the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum, and it was tagged, “One Million Women March Against Gender Discrimination.”

The First Lady and the women marched from the Lagos State Secretariat to the House of Assembly at Alausa, Ikeja, where they were received by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa; Deputy Speaker, Wasiu Eshinlokun; Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade; and Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Job Creation, Hon Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, among others.

Addressing the women as part of activities to commemorate the 2022 IWD, Sanwo-Olu described the rejection of the gender bills as a brazen act of discrimination against Nigerian women. She called on the National Assembly to promptly reconsider the bills and approve them.

The governor’s wife said, “Our interpretation of what transpired with this pattern of voting at the National Assembly on March 1st, 2022 is that the progress of Nigerian women has been rejected.

“All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimisation, if not total removal of barriers, millions of women face on the basis of their gender.

“We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women. As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter.

“There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women is simply stifling its own advancement.”

The First Lady also spoke on the death of Miss Oluwabamise Ayanwole, who went missing after boarding a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and was later found dead, describing the development as sad, shocking, and devastating.

She said, “As mothers, we are devastated; we are in shock; we are not happy. Lagos State is not known for ritual killings and we will not tolerate such.

“Investigations are going on and I am sure there will be justice. Mr. Governor is not sleeping. There will certainly be justice.”

Ekweremadu Flays Failure of N’Assembly to Advance Women’s Participation in Politics

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, criticised the continued collapse of legislative efforts to advance Nigerian women’s participation in politics. Ekweremadu reiterated that only a fundamental switch to proportional representation in the nation’s electoral system could cure the malaise and guarantee women their deserved place in the governance of the nation.

In a goodwill message to Nigerian women on the occasion of the 2022 IWD yesterday, the former senate president said the situation was one of his nightmares at the helm of electoral reform and constitution amendment for many years, as there was a clear lack of understanding and political will among the political leadership and those who should know better.

He said, “I congratulate women all over the world and join other well-meaning Nigerians in celebrating Nigerian women, especially.

“In celebrating them, I also think the occasion calls for sober reflections by all, especially the political elites, over the continued collapse of every legislative effort to shore up women representation in governance structures across the country.

“I believe the International Women’s Day 2022 calls for recommitment and political will by all to rise to the demands beyond lip service.

“Should we not feel embarrassed that Rwanda occupies the first spot on the February 2022 Inter-Parliamentary Union monthly ranking of women in 192 national parliaments, whereas Nigeria places a distant 184th, only better than a few countries like Kuwait, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Eritrea, and Haiti.

“South Africa places 8th, Senegal places 19th, Mozambique places 21st, Ethiopia places 24th, while even South Sudan and Chad occupy the 54th and 56th positions, respectively, well ahead of the Giant of Africa on the same table.

“Instructively, one thing that is common among most of these nations and others with high women representation in parliament is proportional representation.”

According to the ranking senator, by law, 50 per cent of the national parliament of the United Arab Emirates is reserved for women.

Google.org Commits $1m Grant for African Women Entrepreneurs

In celebrating the IWD yesterday, Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, committed $1million in charitable funding to support programs helping African women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.

The move was part of a series of new initiatives aimed at supporting women-owned businesses across Africa.

Google announced the African initiative for women and the financial commitment to support the initiate at a virtual conference yesterday.

While announcing the initiative, Head, Brand and Reputation for Africa at Google, Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, said, “Research shows that 58 per cent of small and medium-sized business (SMB) entrepreneurs in Africa are women. Despite this, women-run businesses show, on average, 34 per cent lower profits than those run by their male counterparts. They are also less likely to receive funding and investment. This is why we are announcing a series of initiatives today, aimed at providing the support women need to grow their businesses.”

In addition to the funding announcement, Google also announced another initiative called #LookMeUp, a campaign to showcase women entrepreneurs and tell their stories. These stories feature women like Vivian Nwakah in Nigeria, who launched Medsaf, a pharma supply chain solution to help Nigerians get access to quality pharmaceutical health care services; Mary Mwange, CEO and founder of Data Integrated, who is driving innovation in the mobile payments sector in Nairobi, Kenya; and Mosa Mkhize in South Africa, who launched Origins Publishers to provide her children – and others like them – with books in their home languages.

“Google is also providing free tools to support women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and has launched an intensive program to drive the discovery of women-owned businesses through Google Business Profiles,” Aderemi-Makinde further said.

Gender Equality Bills: PDP, Governors’ Wives Want National Assembly to Reconsider Position

In line with the IWD celebration, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and wives of the 36 states’ governors have asked the National Assembly to reconsider all outstanding gender bills currently before it.

In a communiqué by the wives of the governors, signed by their chairman, Bisi Fayemi, they listed the five bills that the National Assembly must revisit to include, “A bill to create additional seats for women to increase women’s representation in the Senate and House of Representatives. This bill will level the playing field and lead to a significant number of women in the National Assembly, which currently stands at five per cent.”

The bill was rejected.

Others are, “A bill to enable Nigerian women transfer citizenship to foreign husbands, a right that every Nigerian man married to a foreign spouse enjoys. The bill was rejected.

 “A bill to ensure Affirmative Action of at least 35 per cent in political party administration and appointive positions across Federal and State levels. The bill was rejected.

“A bill to ensure a minimum of 20 per cent Ministerial or Commissioner nominees are women. The bill was rejected.

“A bill to allow a woman become an indigene of her husband’s State after five years of marriage. The bill was rejected.”

According to the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ wives, the interpretation of what transpired with the pattern of voting at the National Assembly on March 1st, 2022, was that the progress of Nigerian women was been rejected.

According to Fayemi, “All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimisation, if not total removal, of barriers millions of women face on the basis of their gender. We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women.

“As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter. There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women, is simply stifling its own advancement.”

The governors’ wives, among others, said they were committed to on-going engagement with a broad range of stakeholders to support the proposed constitution amendments that would usher in a gender-friendly constitution in Nigeria

PDP Women Leader, Professor Stella Attoi, while addressing a press conference to mark the IWD, urged the National Assembly to reconsider all gender equality bills the federal lawmakers rejected recently.

Describing them as agents of development, Attoi said the National Assembly should re-present the said bills for positive reconsideration, adding that it would not be a sign of weakness, but rather that of strength. She explained that the attitudes against women in the National Assembly should be jettisoned, saying the rise of women would not in anyway make men to fall.

PDP urged the National Assembly to adopt the 35 per cent affirmative action, which is the most acceptable global standard on gender inclusion, explaining that the expectations of Nigerians on this matter should be met, which is the quick passage of the gender equality bills.

According to Attoi, “Gender balance is not solely a women’s issue. Men should be greatly involved in advancing it as no democracy without gender inclusiveness.”

She called on male senators, members of the House of Representatives, and States Assemblies to support the gender bills.

Nasarawa First Lady to Sustain Fight for Gender Equality

The First Lady of Nasarawa State, Hajiya Silifat Sule, yesterday pledged to sustain her fight for gender equality through the enhancement of girlchild and women welfare in the society.

Silifat made the pledge in a statement given to journalists in Lafia by her Special Assistant on Media, Lamino Ishaq, in commemoration of the 2022 IWD.

She lamented that one in three women in the country was at risk of one form of gender-based violence or the other, adding that insecurity in many communities has equally placed women and girls, in particular, in grave danger across the country.

The Nasarawa first lady pledged to support her husband, Governor Abdulallahi Sule, by complementing his efforts and drawing his attention to the plight of vulnerable citizens, especially women and children.

She said, “Through my pet project, Silifat Abdullahi Sule’s (SAS) Hope Foundation, I have engaged in advocacy, awareness raising and coordination of empowerment programmes to promote the well-being of women and girls.

“As ‘Gender Equality Today for A Sustainable Tomorrow’ is the theme for this year’s IWD celebration, we in Nasarawa State have witnessed that the administration of Governor Sule has, since inception, being working to close the gender inequality gap in terms of participation in governance.”

This, according to the first lady, was evident in the governor’s appointments into various positions in the apparatus of the Nasarawa State government.

“Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, as well as a world where difference is valued and celebrated is what we need.”

ActionAid Nigeria Intensifies Call for Reconsideration of Rejected Gender Bills

ActionAid Nigeria also called on the National Assembly to re-present and re-consider the five proposed gender bills in the fifth Constitution Alteration Bills that were rejected by both Houses of the National Assembly.

Speaking in Abuja, Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi said, “In line with this year’s theme ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’, we had looked forward to really celebrating International Women’s Day 2022 because we thought it would mark a turnaround for Nigerian woman in politics, and a historic win in the struggle for women inclusion in decision making spaces, as the 2023 general elections draw closer.

“Sadly, the decision of the ninth National Assembly has threatened the achievement of adequate women representation in governance, as they have outrightly demonstrated by their votes, that they do not want women inclusion in decision making.

“If, in 2022, we still have to argue for or against the pivotal role of women in governance, it means our leaders are deliberately resistant to change and still have a lot of learning to do.

 “We, therefore, urge the leadership of the National Assembly of Nigeria to have the Gender Bills re-presented and re-considered. This is the only way to address the current gender imbalance across the legislative arms of governments and across the country.

“Nigeria’s National Gender Policy states that gender equality and women’s empowerment are basic human rights that lie at the heart of equitable development and the country is a signatory to international and regional frameworks such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights with the Optional Protocol on Women’s Rights.

“Thus, Nigeria needs to live up to her commitment to 35 per cent Affirmative Action on women inclusion across all arms of governance. Upholding this will also increase the country’s credibility in the international community.

“An inclusive governance is only possible when women sit at the decision-making tables, contribute to planning and national development to find solutions to the many problems plaguing the nation such as climate change and insecurity. No nation can progress with over 50 per cent of its population excluded from contributing to its development. Failure to recognise this is simply planning to fail from the beginning.”

ActionAid saluted Nigerian women for their strength and courage.

LCCI Salutes Nigerian Women

Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) congratulated women all over the world on this year’s IWD. According to the chamber, the theme of this year’s edition, provides us an opportunity to join voices with people around the world and shout the message for equal rights.

It noted that this year’s theme was all about recognising and amplifying the important role women and girls around the world played in addressing climate change for a more sustainable future.

LCCI stated, “Beyond the speeches and celebrations that mark the annual International Women’s Day, we use this medium to call for critical policy and social reforms that put gender equality and sustainability at the centre of governance, politics, and international affairs.

“Women should be given equal access to resources for them to add more value to society. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revealed that if women farmers had equal access to productive resources, their farm yields would increase by 20 to 30 per cent.

“This could provide enough food to keep 100 to 150 million people from hunger and thereby reducing global hunger to 17 per cent.”

It noted that in line with global trend, Nigerian women constituted nearly half of the population of the country.  “But despite the major roles they play with their population size, women roles in the society are yet to be given the recognition they deserve.

“This is due to some cultural stereotypes, abuse of religion, traditional practices, and patriarchal societal structures. In Nigeria, about 51 percent of women are involved in voting during elections.

“Despite this, women are still under-represented in both elective and appointive positions. The extant National Gender Policy (NGP) recommended 35 per cent affirmative action and sought for a more inclusive representation of women with at least 35 per cent of both elective political and appointive public service positions.”

I’ll Expand Women’s Political Fortunes as APC National Chairman, Says Al-Makura

As the world commemorates this year’s IWD, an aspirant for the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Tanko Al-Makura, has promised to expand the political fortunes of women if elected national chairman of the party.

Al-Makura, in a statement yesterday, lamented that Nigerian women were yet to get opportunities in governance commensurate with their contributions to the nation’s development.

He said, “It is a fact that no party, no people, and no nation can attain its goals without giving women their deserved place as a key demographic and agents of change.

“They are the political mobilisers, they constitute a large chunk of the voting population, and have acquitted themselves most creditably in the positions of authority and trust. They therefore deserve better.

“That is why we have it on top of our agenda to ensure that women take their rightful place in the scheme of things both within the APC and in the governance structures of the country as we will lobby the leaders of the party – the president, governors, lawmakers, ministers, among others – to ensure greater women representation across board.”

Al-Makura recalled that when he was governor of Nasarawa State, he appointed five women as commissioners, adding that his administration also appointed a female Secretary to the State Government.

He said mainstreaming of Nigerian women, especially the APC women, in both party and governance was a key part of his agenda for the party if elected National Chairman.

LAPO Gives Award to Six Outstanding Women for Leadership Skills

Six women bagged the Outstanding Women Leadership Award (LOWLA) organised by the Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) at a ceremony held in Benin City, Edo State capital, on Tuesday.

The awardees, which were adjudged to have done well in business, professional and agriculture, are Mary Ike-Chukwu, Martina Onah, Nwanta Nwakaego, Hajia Amina Mohammed, Olamide Akinnayajo and Hajia Hassana Haladu.

Chief Executive Officer, Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO),, Dr Godwin Ehigiamusoe said the award which was initiated in 2013, demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to women empowerment.

He said, “The award reinforces the positive image of women in Nigeria and helps in reducing the influence of negative attitudes and practices that discriminate against and exclude women in all facets of life.

“I congratulate the recipients and I must say that the latest winners bring the number of LOWLA beneficiaries from inception to 27.

“LAPO as a pro-poor and woman-focused organisation has over the years supported women’s right, socio-economic empowerment and elimination of all forms of violence against them through policy advocacy, health and social intervention programmes.”

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Akinnayajo expressed happiness over the award and the N300, 000 attached to it.

She also noted that LAPO had been instrumental to the rise of their businesses and urged the organisation to do more for women.