Tobias Sylvester
Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, has called on the National Assembly to review its decision on the gender equality bills that were recently rejected by the lawmakers.
Gender Equality Bills
KanyiDaily had reported that on Tuesday, March 1, the Federal Lawmakers voted against the five bills that sought to promote more opportunities for women in political parties, governance, and the society at large.
The National Assembly denied citizenship to a foreign-born husband of a Nigerian woman (while it allows Nigerian men’s foreign-born wives to be awarded automatic citizenship).
They also denied Nigerian women indigeneship through marriage; also 35 percent appointed positions for women and settling for 20 percent was also denied.
Other bills shut down were the bill providing for affirmative action for women in political parties’ administration and the one that seeks to create special seats for women in the national and state assemblies.
The rejection of the bills had sparked protest and criticism against the national assembly, with women groups and other stakeholders calling on the lawmakers to re-present the bills for consideration.
Aisha Buhari Wants Gender Equality Bill Approved
In a statement issued on Thursday, Aisha urged the lawmakers to reverse their decisions so that no woman would suffer discrimination, or be denied of opportunities to contribute to the process of nation-building.
She said, “The recent decision by the National Assembly to ignore the long-standing clamour for Affirmative Action for Nigerian women was contrary to the very high expectations of forward-looking Nigerian men and women,” the statement reads.
“The anger of Nigerians in the circumstance is therefore understandable, more so that not a single concession was made to women, contrary to the global practice of give-and-take for which people’s parliaments are noted for.
“Notwithstanding this temporary setback, however, I, on behalf of the wife of the Vice President, HE Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, join the multitude of Nigerian men and women to thank relevant UN agencies, local and international Non-governmental organisations, faith-based groups, and all other stakeholders and individuals for their charitable support for fair representation by women in legislative houses, public governance, and management of political parties.
“I am of the opinion that our esteemed National Assembly can still review its decision and pray that our compatriots will deeply reflect on this political, but emotive matter.
“I call on both the Senate and the House of Representatives as Husbands, Fathers, Brothers and Grandfathers to revise and reconsider reversing their conclusions so that no group, especially mothers, wives, daughters, and partners who women are, would suffer discrimination, or be denied of opportunities to contribute to the process of nation-building.”
KanyiDaily recalls that yesterday, Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen had said that the male lawmakers who voted against the gender bills have no respect for women.
