Groups hail Senate for rejecting Gender and Equality Bill

The Foundation for African Cultural Heritage (FACH) and some civil society organisations in Nigeria have applauded the Senate for rejecting the bill on gender and equal opportunity presented by Senator Abiodun Olujimi. The bill was rejected for lack of merit.

The groups also opposed the representation of the bill at the Senate, saying it is contrary to the provisions of the 1999 constitution and incompatible with the language of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and in particular, the language of the African values.

The president of FACH, Mrs. Ginika Abogwalu, who spoke on behalf of the groups said, “The most offensive aspect of the bill is that it seeks to incorporate and enforce in Nigeria the provisions of the protocol of the African Charter on Humans and People’s right (Maputo Protocol) and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).