In commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), the Gender Strategy Advancement International has urged the National Assembly to expedite the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill to address the persistent gender gap in political representation.

In a statement issued yesterday, its Executive Director, Adaora Onyechere Sydney-Jack, said Nigeria must move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to ensure women are adequately represented in governance and decision-making.

She regretted that despite the contributions of women across social, economic, cultural and political spheres, they remain significantly under-represented in elected offices and key leadership positions.

Sydney-Jack cited a recent report by the United Nations, which warned that, at the current pace of progress, the global gender equality gap may take about 100 years to close.

According to her, the slow progress is largely driven by weak implementation of gender quotas, deep-rooted cultural barriers and limited access to financial resources that continue to restrict women’s opportunities and participation in leadership.

Sydney-Jack stressed that the Reserved Seats for Women Bill remains a critical legislative intervention that could bridge the representation gap and ensure that women’s voices are included in decisions that shape the nation’s future.

IN a related development, women entrepreneurs, who train apprentices in Nigeria’s informal sector, have been urged to end bullying and create more supportive learning environments for young apprentices.

The call was made during an outreach, organised by the Equality Development & Research Centre (EDR Centre) in Mpape, Abuja, as part of activities marking the global event.

The engagement focused on women business owners who mentor large numbers of apprentices in trades such as tailoring, hairdressing and retail across markets and neighbourhood businesses.

During the session, participants examined behaviours within the apprenticeship system that could amount to bullying.

These included constant insults, public humiliation, excessive punishment and assigning apprentices mainly domestic chores rather than teaching them the skills they came to learn.

Facilitators at the event stressed that while discipline remains an important part of apprenticeship, it should not come at the expense of respect and dignity.

They explained that apprentices, who are treated with encouragement and fairness, were more likely to remain committed, develop stronger skills and contribute positively to the growth and reputation of the businesses that trained them.

The gathering also provided a platform for the women to reflect on their own experiences as former apprentices.

Many shared stories of the challenges they faced during their training years, sparking moments of laughter, reflection and emotional connection among participants.

Beyond the discussions, the women interacted in a relaxed atmosphere, sharing meals, dancing and exchanging experiences about the pressures of running businesses while mentoring young trainees.

Executive Director of the EDR Centre, Marsha Nwanne, said the initiative was designed to sensitise women entrepreneurs to the importance of treating apprentices with dignity and respect.

She noted that women in the informal economy play a critical role in shaping the next generation of skilled workers.
BESIDES, SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria has called for urgent reforms to strengthen the protection of women and girls affected by conflicts, displacement and climate-related disasters in the country.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja to mark the 2026 IWD, the organisation said women and girls have continued to bear a disproportionate burden of insecurity caused by insurgency, banditry and climate shocks across the federation.

The group noted that Nigeria currently hosts over 3.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), driven largely by insurgency in the North-East and banditry in the North-West, with women and children making up nearly 80 per cent of the affected population.

According to the organisation, women in these fragile environments face heightened exposure to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), including abduction, trafficking and forced marriage, which are sometimes used as tactics of war.

It added that humanitarian assessments indicate that at least one in three women in such areas experiences physical or sexual violence, a situation worsened by the lack of gender-segregated sanitation facilities and safe access to water points.

The National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, Eghosa Erhumwunse, urged government, civil society organisations, humanitarian actors and community leaders to accelerate reforms that guarantee women’s rights and strengthen justice systems.