By Sharon Akuboh
The Director-General of the National APC Women Advocacy Organization (NAWA-ORG), Dr. Amina Kundiri, has urged the National Assembly to pass the Reserved Seats Bill into law. This bill aims to increase women’s representation in parliament, promoting equity, fairness, and justice.
Dr. Kundiri emphasized that the bill’s passage would bridge the gender gap and disparities in governance, enhancing women’s participation and voices in decision-making. She reaffirmed NAWA-ORG’s commitment to championing women’s empowerment and ensuring inclusiveness.
The NAWA-ORG DG commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for their support of the gender agenda in Nigeria. She assured the organization would continue supporting national development initiatives.
At the same event, Attahiru Ibrahim, President of the Coalition of Northern Youth and Women Initiative for Good Governance, highlighted the importance of including women and youth in development processes. He noted that these groups have been marginalized for too long.
Dr. Hadiza Jamilu, Secretary-General of the Youth Group, advised young people against being exploited as political thugs and warned against drug abuse.
Rtn. Evelyn Onyilo, National Publicity Secretary of NAWA-ORG, urged women to change the narrative of marginalization by actively participating in politics. She also called on the government to appoint more women and youth into governance positions.
The Reserved Seats Bill seeks to address the underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s parliament. Currently, women hold less than 5% of federal legislative seats, highlighting the urgent need for legislative reform ¹. If passed, the bill will create additional seats exclusively for women in both the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.
The bill’s passage would be a significant step towards gender equality and inclusive governance in Nigeria. It would ensure women’s perspectives and priorities are integrated into national decision-making, ultimately contributing to the country’s development.