The International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8 to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The event celebrates women’s achievements and raises awareness about women’s equality and lobbies for accelerated gender parity.
Observed for the first time in 1911, International Women’s Day aims to highlight and recognise the achievements of women in different spheres while also bringing attention to important issues including gender discrimination that exist even today.
But Women in Nigeria will not be celebrating this year, instead they will be on the streets of the country protesting against what they termed as the “dehumanization of Nigerian Women” by the Nigerian legislature.
Recently, The male-dominated legislature recently rejected an attempt to recalibrate this imbalance, thereby introducing a cog in the path to addressing age-long discrimination against women, which also has stunted development.
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi
Co-Convener, Womenifesto, a women group, in a press release said, “Nigeria has a woeful women representation in political and elective positions. At the National Assembly (comprising the Senate with 109 members and the House of Representatives with 360 members totaling 469 members of parliament), only 29 are women (six per cent of the total). There are, however, 440 men at the Nigeria National Assembly. A low women representation in leadership positions amounts to denying half of Nigeria’s population the voice & opportunity to contribute to governance and development.”
The statement jointly signed by Ebere Ifendu
Chairperson, Women in politics Forum, a counterpart women group, said women are making the following demands:
“Our Demands are:
- Urgent re-convening, reconsideration, and immediate passage of the five women/gender-related bills: Bills number 35, 36, 37, 38, and 68.
- The passing of the Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEOB) Bill, currently before the senate.
- 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 Charters Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, which Nigeria ratified in 2004.
- Immediate domestication of the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which Nigeria ratified in 1985.
Our resolve to continue this struggle is to push back on the misogynistic attitude of the NASS, the pattern of neglect of women concerns and disregard for womanity, severally women have been embarrassed by the gender insensitive practices of the law makers. The failure to address women issues through the gender bill shows that women are irrelevant.
We reject further dehumanization of Nigerian Women. The constitution should cure the defect and we will continue to protest to show our dissatisfaction.”
The women group in the statement called on the Senate President and the Hon. Speaker to call an urgent meeting to discuss how to referees the wrong, ,”if not we shall continue to occupy the NASS”, they threatened.
The women group also, call on all Nigerian men and women to join the rally, taking place simultaneously today across Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt and other major cities.
