Women Demand Passage of Special Seats Bill in Nigeria

Women groups, including the Women Group and representatives from the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), protested at the National Assembly, advocating for the swift passage of the special seats bill. This bill, which is part of 44 priority constitutional amendments awaiting a final vote, aims to amend the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to reserve seats for women in the National Assembly and state houses of assembly.

The initiative seeks to address the low representation of women in legislative bodies, where currently only 5 out of 109 seats in the Senate are held by women. During the protest, Obi, a leader in the movement, emphasized the need for gender-responsive governance, while Rahila Dauda called on lawmakers to pass the bill to improve female representation and combat the shame of poor legislative representation in Nigeria, where women constitute half of the population.