Baobab, ICP urge NASS to reconsider bill on women

Group under the auspices of Baobab for Women’s Rights has described the rejection of bills to enhance Nigerian women’s lives by the ninth National Assembly as “a gross display of lack of respect for dignity and rights of women.”

Baobab Executive Director, Bunmi Dipo-Salami, who spoke, on Friday, in Abuja said the action was also a demonstration of poor accountability for women’s progress and by implication, the nation’s progress.

Also, the International Press Centre (IPC) has appealed to the National Assembly to reconsider its decision on the bills.

In a statement, yesterday, the Centre expressed its readiness to align its voice with the women to ensure the National Assembly revisits the bills.

The statement signed by its Programme Manager, Stella Nwofia and Executive Director, Lanre Arogundade, said: “It is unfortunate that the ninth National Assembly would contravene the country’s international legal obligations by denying Nigerian women the opportunity of better inclusion and greater representation in governance by voting against the pro-gender bills.”

The rejection, according to Arogundade “put the country in a bad light as it negates this year’s campaign theme: #BreakTheBias of the United Nations (UN) International Women’s Day,” which will be celebrated globally on March 8.