Court Ruling: Reconstitute FEC To Ensure 35 Percent Affirmative Action For Women – NCWS Urges Buhari
The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) rose from a Townhall meeting demanding that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari must reconstitute its Executive Council to ensure 35 per cent affirmative action for women in compliance with the Court judgement of April 6, 2022.
The Council also demanded of the Government to demonstrate its resolve by promoting the principle of gender equality in all its policy formulations and implementation.
It equally challenged the National Assembly to make adequate laws to address the systemic barriers against women participation in governance by urgently reconsidering the rejected gender bills and passing them as part of the on-going efforts to amend the 1999 Nigeria Constitution.
The NCWS also urged security agencies and all those saddled with the constitutional responsibility of safeguarding lives to thoroughly investigate all cases of violence against women including the death of Mrs. Osinachi Nwachukwu with a view to ensuring that perpetrators of such violence are made to face the full consequences of their actions.
There were contained in a communique issued at the end of its Townhall which took place on April 12, 2022 during which participants expressed concerned over the rising incidence of violence against women which they noted has assumed an alarming rate in Nigeria with many promising young women paying the ultimate price with their lives while those that are survivors are left to live with the consequences of a failed system without any form of support for their needs following such gruesome act of violence.
The Meeting which was attended by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Buhari, who was represented by her Special Assistant on African First Ladies Peace Mission, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; the Director General of National Centre for Women Development, Dr Asabe Vilita Bashir; representatives of NCWS Affiliate organizations; Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Development Partners affirmed that the court judgement on 35 per cent affirmative action of 6th April, 2022 is a bold step towards addressing the structural bias against women in governance;
The Townhall Meeting specifically expressed concern over the millions of Nigerian women who continue to be denied their basic freedoms and rights as contained in Section 15 (2) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution (as amended).
The communique further states; “There are undeniable facts that women, just like men, have a critical role to play in sustainable development, there exist a structural and systemic bias against women in Nigeria with clear political, social and economic consequences for the women.
“That structural and systemic bias against women is a form of violence against women”.
The NCWS Townhall Meeting with the theme: “Women Together: Setting the Agenda; Changing the Narrative”, was the inaugural outing of the 15th National President of NCWS Nigeria, Hajiya Lami Adamu Lau.
The Meeting was a hybrid event that featured a physical gathering in Abuja, and online participation from across the various states in Nigeria.
The physical audience consisted of a total of 250 representatives from different groups, associations and organisations.
The communique explained that the aim of the Townhall Meeting was to create a platform for Nigeria women to band together, have shared understanding of the gender agenda and develop workable solutions towards advancing the lot of women in Nigeria.
It stated that the history of the quest for gender equality as a panacea for national development in Nigeria is chequered with chauvinistic narrative, foist on the general consciousness by certain school of thoughts that tends to promote the idea that we live in a man’s world where women should not even be heard or seen.
It also said that the Townhall Meeting provided a platform for key stakeholders to explore the facets of challenges faced by women in Nigeria; spotlight the perspective of women on issues of gender and national development; as well as examine and propose mechanisms for changing the narrative and setting agenda for gender development in Nigeria.
