BY HAMEED BRAIMAH
As part of efforts to increase women’s participation in political decision-making, stakeholders have called for the creation of special legislative seats reserved exclusively for women, aimed at boosting female representation in Nigeria’s parliament.
This position was put forward during an advocacy and town hall meeting organised by FIDA Nigeria under the “Advance Women Political Participation Project,” themed Advancing Women’s Inclusion and Representation in Leadership and Political Processes in Nigeria.
A bill to establish these reserved seats has already been introduced and passed second reading in the House of Representatives on 9 July 2024, under the leadership of Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu and 12 co-sponsors.
The meeting, aimed at building consensus among stakeholders and consolidating memoranda for submission to the Constitutional Reform Committee during upcoming zonal public hearings, was supported by UN Women and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government.
According to Mrs Eliana Martins, Country Vice/National President of FIDA Nigeria, the Reserved Seats for Women Bill is a transformative piece of legislation intended to create additional seats solely for women in both the National and State Houses of Assembly.
Speaking on her behalf, Princess Francisca Elema, Chairperson of FIDA Edo State, described the initiative as a bold and historic move toward achieving gender equity and inclusive governance.
“This project, currently being implemented in Edo State, is designed to engage citizens at the state and community levels to build consensus and mobilise support for the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, now under consideration by the Joint Constitutional Reform Committees of the National Assembly.
“The proposed amendment would establish one special seat for women in both the Senate and House of Representatives per state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding a total of 74 seats at the federal level.
Additionally, it seeks to reserve three seats for women in each State House of Assembly, one per senatorial district, totalling 108 seats nationwide.
“This temporary but strategic intervention, to take effect after the current National Assembly’s tenure and subject to review after 16 years, is aimed at addressing Nigeria’s alarming global ranking, 178 out of 182 countries in women’s parliamentary representation,” Martins explained.
Also speaking at the well-attended meeting, former Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Maria Edekor, urged stakeholders to intensify their efforts in pushing the bill to its conclusion.
Describing the bill as an instrument for the protection of vulnerable groups in society, Hon. Edekor called for synergy among interest groups across Nigeria’s political landscape to ensure the bill’s passage.
She expressed optimism that the National Assembly would support the initiative, given the determination of its sponsors.
