By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
Women voters in Niger state, under the auspices of, Nigeria League of Women Voters (NLWV) Niger state chapter, have called for the support and swift passage of the constitution to create additional seats reserved for women at the National and States Houses of Assembly.
The women in their hundreds, from; FIDA, FOMWAN, WOMICA, WOMEN IN POLITICS, VOICE OF WOMEN, NILOWU, WOWICAN, UNITED WOMEN, BMKF among others said they can no longer watch men dominate Nigeria's political space and take decisions on issues that affects them and their daughters.
Leaders of the Women’s League, Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Faruk and Barr. Maryam Kolo said they mobilized over ten women groups and Associations that participated in the action in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended), which guarantees the right to freedom from discrimination and the rights to participate in the governance of one's country.
Presenting a petition to their National Assembly elected representatives in Niger State for onward transmission to the Green and Red Chambers, the women wants the National Assembly to; "Use their good offices to persuade other members to vote for this bill, two, to advocate for emergency sitting to vote for this bill, and thirdly, to vote in favour of this bill when subjected to a vote on the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives.”
The women group in their hundreds gathered in Minna on Tuesday to express their concerns as they presented their voices in writing titled, “Petition for the passage of the special seats for Women Bill”.
“Urgent demand for the passage of the special seats for women bill to enhance inclusive governance in Nigeria.”, adding that the Bill when established will seek for the reservation of special elective positions for the women.
Despite their numerical strength and vital contributions, women according to them remains severely underrepresented across all three tiers of government from the National Executive, National Assembly to State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Areas with representation often hovering below 5% in elective positions, one of the lowest in Africa and world over.
Hajiya Fatima Faruk said considering particularly the numerical strength of women argued that Nigerian women constitutes approximately half of the nation's population, play a critical roles in the social, economic and political development of the communities and the nation at large.
The petition shows the women’s grief, adding that the gross under representation constitutes a fundamental democratic deficit, depriving them in the governance systems of diverse perspectives, inclusive policies, and as well equitable distribution of resources.
They however, advocated for Special Seats for Women Bill, that will address the systemic imbalance by proposing the creation of additional seats for women in the National and State Assemblies, citing example of Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda, countries that have enacted such a Bill that accelerated women's political inclusion.
The League then called on their National Assembly members to champion and actively sponsor or support the swift passage of the the Constitution to create additional seats reserved for women in the National and State Assemblies.
“From the petition that we have made, our prayers are; one, for them to use their good office to persuade other members to vote for this bill, two, to advocate for emergency sitting to vote for this bill, and three to vote in favour of this bill when subjected to a vote on the floor of the House.”
Responding to a questions, Barr. Kolo pointed out that, though the women are not trying to threaten or coerce the government at any point but pleading that women be given opportunity to deliberate and defend issues that concerns them.
“We are pleading with them and we have the strong belief in what has happened, and this bill has been advocated for, for over a long period of time and has had suffered series of adjournments. NNL.