Kudos to the Women who lent their voices, three gender-equality bills now approved for reconsideration
- Three gender-equality bills approved for reconsideration
On the 2nd of March 2022, Nigerian women protested against the non-passage of some gender-equality Bills by the legislature as part of the amendment of the 1999 constitution.
The proposed bills include:
- Granting citizenship to a foreign-born husband of a Nigerian woman. (Nigerian constitution already allows Nigerian men’s foreign-born wives to be granted citizenship).
- Giving Nigerian women the right to become indigenes of their husband’s state after five years of marriage.
- Assigning 35 per cent of legislative seats to women, as well as reserving 35 per cent of political party leadership, for women. (The bill granting 20% for women was passed).
- Granting women affirmative action in party administration and leadership.
- Granting specific seats for women in the National Assembly
Now here’s a good development; three of the bills were approved for reconsideration on International Women’s Day!, 8th of March. They are the bills on citizenship, indigenship and 35% affirmative action for women.
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According to the House of Representatives, the bills were re-committed to the Committee of the Whole for consideration on Tuesday on the direction of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila. Lawmakers will take a look at them when they vote on the next set of bills that can be changed in about four weeks.
We are proud of the women who stood their ground on their requests.