Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the protest was organised under the auspices of Womanifesto at the national and sub-national levels to ensure a coordinated response to the passage of the five gender bills.
The Guardian recalls that the National Assembly recently voted against five gender bills addressing certain issues affecting women through amendments to promote women’s rights in relation to indigeneship and citizenship, as well as political inclusion.
“Unfortunately, due to the outcome of the votes on the proposed amendment, some issues critical to inclusion and gender equality were rejected,” she lamented.
The gender bills include the bill on citizenship seeking to amend section 26 to grant citizenship to foreign husbands of Nigerian women currently guaranteed in section 26(2)(a) for foreign wives of Nigerian men; the indigeneship bill to allow women to claim their husbands’ state of origin.
Others are the Affirmative Action Bill to ensure 35 per cent positions for women, the bill on ministerial or commissioner nomination and the reserved seat bill to create an additional 37, 74 and 108 seats for women at the Senate, House of Representatives and the state houses of assembly.
