The Nigerian Governor’s Wives Forum (NGWF) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing protest by women groups at the gate of the National Assembly in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory over the rejection of the five Gender Bills during consideration of report and the Constitution Amendment at the National Assembly.
Some members of the NGWF represented by the First Ladies of Ekiti, Edo and Akwa Ibom States who joined the protest at the Gate of the National Assembly said the action of the National Assembly constitutes a denial of the rights of women.
The Chairperson of the Nigerian Governor’s Wives Forum Mrs Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi said “We are here on behalf of the Nigerian Governor’s Wives Forum as mothers, as wives, as daughters and as sisters. We therefore demand that our rights be recognised; our rights to live as full citizens, our rights to take leadership positions and our rights not to die in childbirth.
Addressing the protesters the First Lady of Edo State, Her Excellency Betsy Obaseki called on women to vote out all the Legislators who voted against the gender bills presented to the National Assembly.
Her Excellency Betsy Obaseki who quoted the popular slogan “you neglect a woman you lose election” said “this is the message I have come to say here to all Nigerian men, especially our politicians who are seated in political positions and those aspiring to either return or to join them in governments and in politics”.
Her Excellency added that “if you do proper analysis of a proper election process, you will find out that women are the ones who vote the most and when we vote, we stay there and protect our votes”.
She called on “all Nigerian women, market women, professional women, women in government and women in politics”, saying “let us unite together and form a strong front and tell the men that we are the ones who put them in this position and they must listen to us and give us what we want else we vote them out”.
On her part, the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Martha Udom-Emmanuel said “we are not asking for too much, we are asking the men that have refused to sign the bill to consent to 35% affirmative action, please give us our rights. We are not second-class citizens, we are as important as the men are”.
Some female parliamentarians added their voice to the call saying the rights of women are issues of human rights.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Betty Apiafi said “we constitute 50% of the nation. How can you allow 50% of your man power waste? Who does that?”
Former member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission Honourable Abike Dabiri said “I was in this place for 25 years. When I was here we were 27 women, today the women parliamentarians are less than that number, the same thing with the Senate. So the question is, who is afraid of the Nigerian woman?
One of the leaders of the protest, Dr Abiola Afolabi said they will continue their advocacy until they achieve their aim insisting that “our demand is that we want the Senate President and the Right Honourable Speaker leading the House of Representatives must have a dialogue with the leadership of the women’s movement.
