As women across the world today mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD 2022), their counterparts in Nigerian will hold a protest at the National Assembly.

The demonstration, which some have described as the ‘mother of all protests,’ is aimed at calling on the federal lawmakers to reconsider all the gender bills that were rejected during the constitution amendment last week.

The theme of this year’s IWD 2022 is Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.

Leading the march today is the co-convener of Womanifesto, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi. Some women had protested last Wednesday at the National Assembly against the rejection of the bills.

She regretted that on the first day of Women’s History month – March – the Nigerian legislature voted to deny citizenship to the foreign-born husbands of Nigerian women but a Nigerian man’s foreign-born wife gets automatic citizenship and lawmakers also denied Nigerians in the Diaspora the right to vote.

She also lamented that lawmakers voted to deny women the ability to take indigeneship in their husband’s state after five years of being together and also rejected 35 per cent appointed positions for women.

The lawmakers, she said, also voted to deny women 35 per cent affirmative action in party administration and leadership as well as specific seats for women in the National Assembly. Of the 68 legislations, five bills sought to promote more opportunities for women in political parties, governance and the society at large. They were all rejected.

The protest is scheduled to hold across many cities in the country.

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year around the world on March 8. It is a day dedicated to women, a symbolic reminder of the historic journey they have taken globally to better their lives, and that while a lot has been achieved on that front, the journey is still long and more needs to be done.

According to UN Women, the theme attempts to recognise the “contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all”.

Co-founder Dominic Foundation, Dr. Funmi Olaoye-Dominic, said that electorate should advocate for the implementation of policies geared towards addressing traditional women’s issues

“More women are needed in leadership for various reasons, policies that address women’s issues will be made if more women are elected in the leadership positions, also, other women will be encouraged to take up such positions and this will lead to gradual systemic change and a better representation of women in power,” she said.

Chief Executive Officer, Yield Africa Foundation , Olatunde Martins said women should be given opportunity for leadership roles.

“Women are able to make wise decisions as leaders which makes the team less authoritative and co-operative,” Martins expalined.

The Executive Director, Peace Arena for Youth Foundation (PAY-F) and Coordinator, PeaceJam Nigeria, Dr. Doyin Ogunyemi, said more women are needed in leadership because of the perspectives they bring to the table with their ability to address struggles and hurdles.

Ogunyemi said: “We have countries where women held the highest offices, and we have seen how such leadership have helped navigates the countries. They are in good positions, even during the pandemic, we saw how the women-led countries had less effect of consequences from COVID compared to male led countries.”

Ogunyemi advocated for more women in leadership to amplify the conditions and issues faced like domestic violence, rape and the rest.

The publicity secretary of Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom (CANUK),Princess Moradeun Adedoyin-Solarin, urged women to stand on their feet to ensure the gender equality bill is revisited

In same vein, Ogunyemi said with actions by women from different quarters the bill can be revisited and passed for a positive change, improvement, in communities and the lives of people in Nigeria.

“I would expect that the gender bill is revisited and women should know that at the end of the day their vote is their vote,” She added