The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Nigeria and Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER), a leading non-profit organisation, have raised concerns over the persistently low representation of women in Nigerian politics.

They called for urgent and bold legislative reforms to reverse the trend.

They spoke at the high-level stakeholder engagement on the Special Seats Bill for women’s representation in politics in Abuja, organized by STER with support from the German Embassy.

Speaking at the event, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, urged Nigerian women to consistently demand their rightful place in governance, from local councils to the federal parliament.

She stressed that women’s inclusion in political leadership is essential for a thriving democracy and sustainable development.

Günther said: “Women are 50% of the population; they are half of the population, so they must be represented adequately in parliament because parliament is the place where the laws are developed for the country.

“And only women can contribute the perspective of women and girls into decision-making, law-making, and governance. So, I think it’s a very logical thing to say there must be more women, and for a limited amount of time, sometimes it’s necessary to create bills to achieve that goal.

“Women are 50 percent of the population, and you have the right to be there. It’s not a special favor that is given to women. Women can contribute, must contribute; they have the same talent and the same ideas as men, so don’t stop fighting for your rights to be represented everywhere.”

In his remark, the board member of STER, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar, noted the bill’s potential to transform Nigeria’s political landscape.

He said that the special seats bill, which seeks to reserve additional legislative seats exclusively for women, is seen as a critical step toward bridging the gender gap in Nigeria’s political space.

He stated: “With women accounting for just 3.6% of the National Assembly, the bill proposes one additional senatorial seat per state and similar provisions in the House of Representatives and state assemblies.”

He added that the arrangement would be reviewed after 16 years to evaluate its impact and future necessity.

Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Jeremiah Umaru, pledged his support, citing the success of women in leadership roles in Nigeria and abroad, such as Uganda, where a woman serves as Speaker of Parliament.

“The time is now to raise awareness among parliamentarians to secure broader backing for the bill. Women in leadership have done so well, 90% of them. Imagine the impact, the ideas, the knowledge they bring.”

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, said that the chronic underrepresentation of women in governance is undemocratic and disempowering.

He revealed that a related bill proposing 74 additional seats for women in parliament is also under consideration in the House of Representatives.

He stated: “In the last three Assemblies, female representation has sharply declined, with women making up just 2.7% of the Senate and 4.7% of the House in the 9th Assembly.

“This trend must be reversed if we are serious about democracy. The first step is for women to join political parties and contest elections. Power is not given; it is taken through the ballot.”