[GIST] NCWS, CSOs seek more women in governance
The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) has commended the House of Representatives for passing for second reading, a bill seeking to amend the Constitution to create extra legislative seats for women in the National and State Assemblies.
It also urged the Senate to concur so that Nigeria can join the ranks of countries that have made significant strides in promoting gender equality in governance.
Recall that a constitutional amendment bill to improve women’s representation in parliament through the introduction of special seats, last Tuesday, scaled second reading in the lower legislative chamber.
Acting National President of NCWS, Geraldine Etuk, while reacting to the development in a statement, said the passage was a landmark achievement and a significant step towards gender equality and representation in Nigeria.
Similarly, a group of civil society organisations and gender activists, yesterday, sought affirmative action to increase women’s representation in the nation’s political leadership space.
They lamented that the current political arrangement in the country was in favour of men. Gender advocate and President of Women in Politics Forum, EbereIfendu, made the appeal during a one-day workshop for civil society organisations (CSOs), with the theme, ‘Coordination and Strategy Meeting on Affirmative Action Reform to Increase Women Political Representations in the Ongoing Constitution Review Process’, in Abuja.
Ifendu said the meeting was to unify efforts towards a common goal of constitutional amendments for affirmative action to increase women’s political representation.
In her remarks, the Founding Director of Women Aid Collective (WACOL), Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, advocated a conducive environment to encourage more women to participate in politics.
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