By Muhammad Kabir, Kano
The Coalition of Women-Led Organizations, has Presented a Gender Bill, seeking One more seat from the 37 States of the Federation which would gives them 37 Senators/ House Of Representatives to Nigerian Senate Constitutional Review Committee Public Hearing in Kano.
Presenting the draft bill to the Hearing, Dr. Mohamed Mustapha Yahya, leading a coalition of women-led organizations, presented the gender bill during the zonal public hearing by the Nigerian Senate holding in Kano, Tuesday.
The coalition, led by organizations such as FIDA, RAPA, WACOL, PONGWAN, and WOWIKAN, aims to secure additional seats for women in the National Assembly and state House of Assemblies.
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Dr. Mustapha hints that their efforts are focused on addressing the severe underrepresentation of Women in the Nation Elected offices.
“The gender bill proposes several key measures, including the allocation of additional Senate seats. Specifically, the bill suggests one additional seat for women in all 37 states, including the FCT, which would result in 37 reserved seats for women in the Senate.”
“Another crucial proposal within the gender bill pertains to the House of Representatives. The coalition advocates for one seat for every three senatorial districts, which would translate to 47 seats for women in the House of Representatives.”
Furthermore, the Leader of the Women Group said the bill proposes three additional seats for women in each state’s assembly, utilizing the three senatorial zones as a basis. This measure aims to ensure women’s representation at the state level as well.
Dr. Yahya emphasized that the primary objective of the gender bill is to ensure women’s representation in governance. He highlighted that women constitute 45-49% of Nigerian voters but are severely underrepresented in the National Assembly and state legislatures.
“Democracy is a game of numbers. If you look at it, women constitute over 45 to 49 percent of the Nigerian voters. But women are not represented.”
Habiba Ahmed, Senior Programs Officer of Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), urged the government to accept, pass, and fully implement the special reserved seat for women bill. She stressed the importance of this legislation for promoting women’s participation in governance.
Ahmed also emphasized the need for electoral reform, including an independent INAC chairman nomination process, to ensure free and fair electoral processes. This, she argued, is crucial for guaranteeing the effectiveness of the proposed gender bill.
The coalition, which includes WRAPA, WOTC, WACOL, FIDA, and other women’s groups, enjoys support from UN Women. As Habiba Ahmed stated, “We are calling on the government to ensure that the special reserved seat for women bill is being accepted, passed, and followed up to be fully implemented so that we see women’s full participation in politics and in governance
