The National Coalition of Affirmative Action has condemned the Nigerian law maker’s rejection of the Gender Bill by the amendment of the Nigerian constitution at the National Assembly.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the National Coalition of Affirmative Action, a network of NGOs working in the area of women and girls right in Edo State signed by Hon. Florence Gbinigie JP, Network co-ordinator, Forum of Nigerian Women in Politics (FONWIP)
“We vehemently condemn the attitude of the lawmakers rejecting what matters to the lives of Nigerian women. This country belongs to all of us, both males and females. Most importantly, Nigerian women have contributed immensely to the economic and political development of our dear country.
“In the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections to the Senate and House of Representatives, out of the 912 million eligible voters, the turnout was over 67 percent which was the highest turnout ever recorded with higher participation of women than men.
“To our greatest surprise, the payback received for the precious time and stress we went through, including risking our lives to place them in the position of making laws to better our land is to exit us from existence as citizens. Excluding us from the constitution that binds us together as a nation in its entirety, politically and otherwise is a move we reject in all ramifications,” the women noted.
According to the statement read by Mrs. Adodo Joy on a day marking the celebration of women’s achievement all over the world, with the theme, “Bridging the Gender Gap,” women’s rights as full citizens to participate fully in the nation’s affairs were thrown out, ignoring the principles of non-discrimination, equality, and social justice.
The National Coalition of Affirmative Action, therefore, requested that as a matter of urgency the reconsideration and immediate passage of the five women gender-related bills, number 35,36,37,38 and 68 into law and passing of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill currently before the Senate.
They also requested the resuscitation and the passage of the bill on “Support for women participation in elective and appointive positions bill 2020 before the House of Representatives, immediate domestication of the African charter’s protocol on the rights of women in Africa, which Nigeria ratified in 2004 and immediate domestication of the UN convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women which Nigeria ratified in 1985 and the Beijing Platform for Action of 1995.
“We have resolved to continue this struggle to push our course further until our demand is met and we reject further dehumanization of Nigerian women, and the constitution should cure the defect and we will continue to protest to show our dissatisfaction.
“We call on the Senate President and Hon Speaker to call an urgent meeting to redress this anomaly and we also call on all well-meaning men and women to join us in this struggle. We appreciate the Edo State Governor, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki who also condemned this dastardly act meted on all women by the national lawmakers.
“We also seize this opportunity to remind His Excellency of his campaign promise during town hall meeting held at Imaguero College, Benin City during his first tenure to support our pending Gender and Equal opportunity bill in the state House of Assembly, which is yet to scale through,” the women added.