By Funmi Ajumobi

Nigerian Women has urged the National Assembly and State Assemblies, to take heed, respond with courage and stand with women, uphold truth, justice, equity and democracy as they called to question the voting pattern of the National Assembly members on gender bills, saying it is their right to hold their representatives accountable.

In a press released after a protest at the gate of the National Assembly today, titled, “DEMOCRACY IN RETREAT: A PETITION BY EXCLUDED NIGERIAN WOMEN”, signed by Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Co-Convener, Womanifesto , Saudatu Mahdi MFR , WRAPA Secretary General and Ebere Ifedu, Chairperson Women in Politics, it stated that the denial of the five Gender related Bills amounts to a declaration of war on Nigerian women by the National Assembly.

“Women call upon the entire constituents’ members of the National and States House of Assembly, on this auspicious occasion of the 2022 International Women’s Day commemoration to as a matter of extreme and appropriate urgency, convey our unanimous demand for a reconsideration of the five rejected Gender related bills, for passage as presented.”

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The women group said they recognised the passage of the bill to expand the scope of citizenship by registration, bill to provide affirmative action for women in political party administration and the bill to provide criteria for qualification to become an indigene of a State in Nigeria, but they stated their demands which they said they said must be passed by March 31, 2022.

“Our demands: Urgent re-convening, reconsideration, and immediate passage of the all women/gender-related bills: Bills number 35 and 68 concurrently by Senate and House of Representatives. The passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEOB) Bill, currently before the Senate, resuscitation and passage of the Bill on”

“Support for Women Participation in Elective and Appointive. Immediate Domestication of the African Charters Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, which Nigeria ratified in 2004, immediate domestication of the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), ratified by Nigeria since 1985 and demanded to know the voting pattern on sensitive matters of citizen rights.”

The women stated that the demands of women groups were as a right and not as a favour, saying Nigerian Women Groups have lobbied for over 3 years on the Gender Bill through direct engagements with key stakeholders, media appearances as well as collaborated on partnerships.