Coalition tasks Tinubu on 5 rejected gender bills

A coalition of women groups, 100 Women Lobby Group has urged President Bola Tinubu to re-present five gender bills rejected by the 9th Assembly to the 10th Assembly for consideration.

Felicia Onibon, the National Coordinator of the group said this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

Onibon said that women’s participation in political and public life were essential to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

She said that data showed that women were underrepresented at all levels of decision-making in Nigeria.

“It is important that integrity and accountability of the system are not eroded to further push women out of participation.

“We congratulate President Bola Tinubu on his assumption of office; we will like to remind him of his promise to the Nigerian women and youths.

“We want to further stress the need for him to include more women in his cabinet, the Nigerian women demand 35 per cent representation of women in appointive positions across all strata, to ensure gender equity.

“One of our major prayers is for Tinubu to take the five gender bills as Executive bills to the 10th assembly, as Nigeria needs to take its pride place in the comity of nations,” she said.

Onibon added: “We also congratulate the newly elected legislators both at National and state levels, and we ask for their corporation especially as we have fewer women in parliament.

“There is a need for more voices of women to be reflected at legislative level amongst women and men for an equitable development in Nigeria.”

She said that women population in Nigeria was almost a double of the men population, necessitating equitable participation in public life.

She said that their participation was essential to build and sustain a strong and vibrant democracy, as well as the social and economic benefits for sustained and stable development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rejected bills sought to alter sections 35, 36, 37, 38 and 68 of the 1999 Constitution to guarantee more women participation in governance.