You’ll Pay For Disregarding Women – Tallen Dares Male Lawmakers

BY EDMOND ODOK – The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has berated male lawmakers who voted against gender bills seeking amendment to the 1999 constitution as having no regards for women.

This is as she warned that there will be consequences for their action in abandoning women and refusing to offer support when they were most needed.

According to her, in rejecting that piece of proposed legislation, “It clearly shows that the men that were against the bill don’t have any respect for women; it’s clear.

“But I am not generalising; not all the men in the national assembly. We have the figures — 72 men in the House of Representatives voted in support of the bill.”

Speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, the Minister said Nigerian women are already strategising on the next line of action.

She said it would no longer be business as usual for all those male legislators that mouth support for women only when they are seeking their votes during elections.

The lawmakers had on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 voted against bills seeking to promote more opportunities for women in political parties as well as the nation’s governance structures.

Among the bills that were dumped was the one titled; “Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Special Seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters.”

The bill reportedly failed the lawmakers’ test as about 208 members of the 290 present at the plenary voted against it.