International Women’s Day: Kalu-led Constitution Review Committee’s ‘Inspiring Inclusion’

Udora Orizu writes that increase in Nigeria’s women political participation is in sight, as the 10th House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review led by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu is prioritising gender inclusion

“It is high time we stopped underestimating the power of a woman. Everything they handle with dedication they multiply. As the chairman of the House constitution review committee, I have a lot of work in my hands to make sure the repositioning of women folks in our country is achieved,” Hon. Benjamin Kalu had declared.

Low participation and under representation of women in politics and other leadership positions have been an issue in the society from time immemorial. Women participation in politics and decision-making processes is crucial to a thriving democracy. However in Africa and some other continents, women are being excluded, marginalised and underrepresented mostly, due to some cultural stereotypes and patriarchal societal structures.

The issue of gender roles and discrimination is believed to have held Africa down. The continuous marginalisation and inequality spurred women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. 

The campaigns, advocacies, protests for decades eventually led to March 8, being officially recognised worldwide as International Women’s Day (IWD), to celebrate the cultural, political, social, and economic achievements made by women. It also serves as an opportunity to inspire efforts to end gender biases and discrimination and achieve gender equality.

International Women’s Day was marked for a first time by the United Nations in 1975. In 1996 the United Nations (UN) announced their first annual theme “Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future” which was followed in 1997 with “Women at the Peace table”, in 1998 with “Women and Human Rights”, in 1999 with “World Free of Violence Against Women”, and so on each year.

The campaign theme, one of many around the world, provides a framework and direction for annual IWD activity and takes into account the wider agenda of both celebration, as well as the call to action for gender parity. Campaign themes over the years focuses on a specific and timely topic that helps advance women’s rights and forge a more inclusive world. 

IWD campaigns have included: #EmbraceEquity, #BreakTheBias, #ChooseToChallenge, #EachforEqual, #BalanceforBetter, #PressforProgress, #BeBoldforChange, #PledgeforParity, #MakeItHappen, #TheGenderAgenda, and many more. 

For 2024, The International Women’s Day website announced that the theme is “Inspire Inclusion”. The goal of the campaign is to “inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion” so that “we forge a better world”. “And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment,” the website added. 

The theme of this year #InspireInclusion resonates with the agenda of the 10th House of Representatives to improve women’s political representation, one of which is to revisit the gender bills rejected during the alteration of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), in March, 2022.

The rejection of the gender bills by the lawmakers sparked outrage and protests by women and fundamental rights groups.

The bills sought to provide: “special seats for women at the National Assembly; affirmative action for women in political party administration; grant citizenship to foreign-born husbands of a Nigerian woman, allocate 35 per cent of political positions based on appointment to women and creation of additional 111 seats in National Assembly as well as at the state assemblies.”

The results of the 2023 general elections showed a general decline in female representation for the 10th assembly with only 18 females in both chambers.

The 10th House led by the Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass and Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu in its legislative agenda released last year recognised that improving women’s participation in politics and addressing issues like violence against women are crucial steps toward achieving sustainable development.

Abass therefore said the 10th House will take legislative actions to promote women’s political participation as follows: “Re-introduce and support the Bill on temporary special seats for women in the Constitution amendment efforts of the 10th National Assembly, legislate to increase women’s representation in elective positions by creating special women-only seats in the Senate and House of Representatives and encouraging State Houses of Assembly to do the same.”

Since then, the House Constitution Review Committee headed by the Deputy Speaker, Kalu assured Nigerian women of the parliament’s readiness to ensure the rejected gender bills don’t suffer the same fate in the 10th Assembly.

Delivering a goodwill message in November 2023, at the 40th anniversary celebration of NEWS Engineering Limited in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker emphasized the need for Nigeria to recognise and appreciate the power of women.

He said, “It is high time we stopped underestimating the power of a woman. Everything they handle with dedication they multiply. As the chairman of the constitution review committee, I have a lot of work in my hand to make sure the repositioning of women folks in our country is achieved.”

As National Assembly embarks on another constitutional amendment process, the Deputy Speaker has made it known that issues such as women participation in politics will of utmost priority.

In his speech at the inauguration of the Sixth Special Committee on the Review of 1999 Constitution, held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on February 26, Kalu assured that the committee will revisit some of the gender bills that were rejected in the last assembly.

On March 4, Speaking in Abuja at the ongoing Roundtable on Women Inclusion in Politics, organised by Policy and Legal Advocacy Center (PLAC), Yiaga Africa, Nigeria Women Trust Fund and ElectHer, the Deputy Speaker assured that the ongoing constitution review exercise by will address the issue of gender imbalance. 

He bemoaned the poor participation of women in Nigerian politics, saying, countries like Rwanda had implemented a constitutional provision mandating at least 30 per cent of parliamentary seats to be reserved for women. 

Kalu noted that the impact has been profound with women now holding an unparalleled 61.3 per cent of seats in the lower House of parliament in Rwanda.

According to the Deputy Speaker, the figure stood at four per cent of women holding seats in the House of Representatives and 3.6 per cent in the Senate in the Nigeria’s National Assembly.

He said that reservation of seats and adoption of electoral quotas for women would greatly increase the ranking of Nigeria amongst the comity of nations.

Kalu added that with the ongoing constitution review exercise and the ‘body language’ of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the inclusion of the Nigerian women in politics will realised.

He said: “What you are stating is the fact, the comparative analyses were not manipulated. I read a few prepared by PLAC a few minutes ago. The Giant of Africa is the least on the list of Women participation in politics. It is not good at all. Does the President (Tinubu) know this? Yes. Is he in support of such exclusion? No. Is he willing to take it to the next level? Yes.

“Are there evidences to show that he believes in that, or is his body language towards that? Yes. Check and you will find out that the First Lady was supported by him to be in the parliament for a very long time. Himself was also in the Parliament. He understands what you are talking about. The Vice President was in the Parliament. The Chief of Staff to the President was in the Parliament. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation was in the Parliament; and I’m happy to announce that his wife is with us in the House of Representatives.

“Why am I making these references? I make these references to encourage you that the body language of the current administration is to the fact that we want more women in politics and a friend of mine supported his wife and the wife is here and she is in the Parliament, so,  Members of the House of Representatives are supporting their wives to be in the Parliament. Members of the House of Representatives are also marrying women who are in Parliament.

“So we are not afraid of women being in parliament. There is hope that it is going to get better and we are going to leverage this renewed hope that is found in the body language of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And I hopeful that he is going to assent to the bill we will put together in the Parliament. Let me also announce that you are lucky, so lucky that it is a ‘he for she’ that is in charge of the Constitution Review in the House of Representatives. And that is me. You know, I believe in empowering the women. And I also believe, sometimes they they do better than the men. Yeah, it is a fact”.

With these assurances and commitments coming from Deputy Speaker on whose table the bulk of Constitution amendment in the House stops, there will be no doubt, light at the end of the tunnel for women political inclusion and advancement.

*Udora, is the Special Assistant on Press Affairs to the Deputy Speaker

Quote 

It is high time we stopped underestimating the power of a woman. Everything they handle with dedication they multiply. As the chairman of the constitution review committee, I have a lot of work in my hand to make sure the repositioning of women folks in our country is achieved