Gender Mobile Initiative has called on all stakeholders, including governments in Nigeria, to scale efforts to break every bias against women.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) made the call in a statement marking the 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD).
The NGO also called on the National Assembly in Nigeria to review its recent anti-equality stance during the parliamentary vote for gender-related bills.
Federal lawmakers, on 01 March, 2022, voted against more seats for women in the federal and state legislatures, indigeneship rights for married women, and citizenship by registration for non-Nigerian men married to Nigerian women.
The other gender bills that were rejected are 35 percent affirmative action for women in political party administration, and reserved quota for women in cabinet positions.
Gender Mobile Initiative said that the National Assembly’s vote against granting Nigerian women more rights and autonomy was ‘repugnant to equality, equity and development’.
‘As a civil society organisation advancing gender equality and justice, we join activists, advocates and other various stakeholders across the country to protest against this parliamentary decision and also promote awareness of the gender bills’, the nonprofit said in the statement to Development Diaries.
‘As a heterogeneous country, it is important for our government to be committed to passing and assenting more gender-related bills into law and enact amendments to the 1999 constitution that promote women’s rights as human rights.
‘As part of our activities to celebrate the International Women’s Day, we will engage with relevant stakeholders, mobilise our community efforts and strengthen ongoing engagements to break every bias’.
Women make up almost half of Nigeria’s population, yet remain grossly underrepresented in the country’s governance.
Currently, only 19 out of the 469 serving members of the National Assembly are women, making just four percent and ranking 180 out of 190 in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) global rankings.
The rejected bills provided for the creation of 111 additional seats for women representatives of senatorial districts and constituencies at the national and state houses of assemblies.
IWD is marked every 08 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and also renew the call to action for accelerating gender parity.
Gender equality is also key to sustainable development, which s why number five of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to ensure it across the world.
‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’, number five of the UN SDGs reads.
Similarly, aspiration six of Agenda 2063 advocates for an Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children.
Photo source: UN Women
