Nigeria women groups present bill seeking additional seats in national, state assemblies

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In an attempt to gain an additional member in the National Assembly, the Coalition of Women-Led Organizations has submitted a gender bill to the Nigerian Senate Constitutional Review Committee Public Hearing in Kano.

At the Nigerian Senate’s zonal public hearing in Kano on Tuesday, Dr. Mohamed Mustapha Yahya, who is in charge of the coalition, presented the gender bill draft.

FIDA, RAPA, WACOL, PONGWAN, and WOWIKAN are among the groups that seek to increase the number of female seats in the National Assembly and state houses of assembly.

According to Dr. Mustapha, their efforts are concentrated on resolving the stark underrepresentation of women in elected positions across the country.

“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.”

Additionally, according to the women’s group leader, the measure uses the three senatorial zones as a basis to propose three extra seats for women in each state legislature. Additionally, this legislation seeks to guarantee women’s representation at the state level.

Dr. Yahya underlined that guaranteeing women’s representation in governance is the gender bill’s main goal.

He emphasized that although women make up 45–49% of Nigerian voters, they are disproportionately underrepresented in state legislatures and the National Assembly.

“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.”

Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) Senior Programs Officer Habiba Ahmed asked the government to approve, enact, and fully execute the special reserved seat for women bill. She emphasized how crucial this law is to encouraging women’s involvement in politics.

In order to guarantee free and fair elections, Ahmed also underlined the necessity of electoral reform, which includes an independent INEC chairman nomination procedure. She maintained that this is essential to ensuring the proposed gender bill’s efficacy.

“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.”

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