Female federal lawmakers have called on President Muhamnadu Buhari to practically address the issue of gender inequality in the country by coming up with an executive bill to that effect.
This, they said , will serve as the surest way of guaranteeing more women’s participation in politics in Nigeria as obtainable in some African countries .
The female federal lawmakers made the appeal in Abuja Wednesday at a training workshop, organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies ( NILDS) , in collaboration with the United Nations Women, for female legislators in Nigeria.
Specifically, one of them, Senator Oluremi Tinubu ( APC Lagos Central) , said, “What we need is an executive bill because efforts made in the past to achieve the women affirmative action through constitution review in the past were frustrated because of our few numbers in both the committee and parliament. “
Also, the deputy whip of the House of Representatives, Nkiru Onyejeocha, chronicled past efforts made by female lawmakers to achieve the 30 per cent affirmative action in the past and submitted that only an executive order could make it realisable.
Senator Khadijah Bukar Abba Ibrahim urged her colleagues to lobby their colleagues to make the affirmative action possible through constitution review apart from pushing for an executive bill from Buhari.
But the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had on the occasion asked the female lawmakers to take their destinies in their hands.
Lawan and Gbajabiamila specifically asked their female colleagues to seize the opportunity of the ongoing constitution review at both chambers to ensure that women are given priority in politics and political appointment consideration.
Lawan, who was represented by the Senate Deputy Whip, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi( APC Niger North), noted that women exist in an environment dominated by men, hence the need to make the 30 per cent affirmative action in favour of women, a constitutional issue.
He said the development would make it imperative to canvass improved representation of the womenfolk. and the desirability of growing their capacities.
