The Kogi State chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has called on the federal government to reserve three seats for women in each senatorial district in the federation, saying Nigeria ranks 178 for women’s parliamentary representation.
FIDA equally called for collaboration with relevant global organisations in advancing women’s inclusion and representation in leadership and political processes in Nigeria.
Eliana Martins, country vice president, FIDA, Nigeria, made the call while declaring open a one-day state level advocacy/town hall meeting on building consensus and consolidating memorandum presented to the constitutional reform committee during zonal public hearing for Kogi, held in Lokoja over the weekend on the title Advancing Women’s Inclusion and Representation in Leadership and Political Processes in Nigeria
Represented by Oliwakemi Omeiza Usman, Kogi State chairperson, Martins disclosed that the town hall meeting was implemented by FIDA in partnership with the United Kingdom International Development and United Nations Women towards Advancing Women’s Participation in Leadership and Politics , adding that the project aims at promoting women and gender, just as it has been implemented in nine states.
“This gathering is also aimed at building consensus and consolidating memoranda to be presented to the constitutional reform committee during zonal public hearings.
“Our focus in this meeting is to solicit support for a bill that will create reserved or special seats for women at both state and national assemblies under the proposed constitutional amendments in Nigeria.
“The bill will increase women’s participation in decision making, give women the opportunity to represent themselves critically and provide diverse perspective in decision making,” she said.
Martins called for necessary support from all quarters to ensure that the bill scale through and for gender equality in the scheme of things.
The participants who were drawn from the Kogi State House of Assembly, Civil Society Organisations, monarch, religious bodies and the media, drummed support in ensuring that the proposed bill seeking for reserved seats for women at the legislative arm of government scale through
The highpoint of the event was paper presentation on “Unraveling women Political Participation Vis a Vis Voter turnout in Nigeria and “The need for women representation in Nigeria: The Reserved Seats Bill Prospects & Challenges.”
