Nigerian women are launching a social media campaign to push for the reintroduction of five gender bills that were rejected by the 9th National Assembly in 2022. The bills aim to address the gaps and discrimination that women face in the Nigerian constitution and political system.
The campaign, which is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Palladium, will use hashtags and signature petitions to raise awareness and mobilise support for the bills among the public, the media, and lawmakers. The campaign is led by a coalition of gender groups, including Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), Womanifesto, National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA), Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GCRN), SAGE and Gender Mobile.
The five gender bills are:
- The Bill to provide special seats for women at the National Assembly, seeks to create additional 37, 74, and 108 seats for women at the Senate, House of Representatives, and the State Assemblies, respectively.
- The Affirmative Action Bill seeks to amend Section 223 of the constitution to ensure women occupy at least 35 per cent of executive positions in political parties and appointive positions in government.
- The Citizenship Bill seeks to amend Section 26 of the constitution to grant citizenship to foreign-born husbands of Nigerian women, as is currently guaranteed for foreign-born wives of Nigerian men.
- The Indigeneship Bill seeks to amend Sections 31 and 318 (1) of the constitution to allow women to claim their husbands’ state of origin after at least five years of marriage and to enjoy the same rights and privileges as men in their state of origin.
- The Ministerial or Commissioner Nomination Bill seeks to amend Sections 147 and 192 of the constitution to ensure that at least 35 per cent of the nominees for ministerial or commissioner positions are women.
The coalition of gender groups said that the bills are necessary to ensure gender equality and inclusion of women in all spheres of life, as well as to improve the economic, social, and political development of the country. They also said that the bills are in line with the National Gender Policy of 2006, which demands that 35 per cent of women be involved in all governance processes, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls by 2030.
The campaign comes at a critical time, as Nigeria prepares for the 2023 general elections, which will determine the composition of the 10th National Assembly and the executive branch of government. The coalition of gender groups said that they hope to influence the electoral process and the agenda of the incoming government to prioritise the passage of the gender bills and the implementation of the gender policy.
Nigeria ranks low in terms of women’s representation in politics, with only 4.5 per cent of women in the 9th National Assembly and 16.9 per cent of women in ministerial positions. According to the World Bank, closing the gender gap in key economic sectors could yield gains of between $9.3 billion and $22.9 billion for the Nigerian economy.
The campaign will be launched on Thursday, November 23, 2023, in Abuja, with the participation of key stakeholders, including political leaders, legislators, women in politics, and the general public. The campaign will also use online platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to reach a wider audience and generate more support for the gender bills.
The coalition of gender groups said that they are optimistic that the campaign will succeed in bringing back the gender bills to the legislative agenda and securing their passage into law by 2024. They also said that they are confident that the campaign will inspire more Nigerian women to participate in politics and leadership and to demand their rights and dignity in society.
Source: The Guardian Nigeria
