NIGERIAN WOMEN PROTEST OVER GENDER BILLS AT NASS ENTERS DAY FIVE

Nigerian women, in protest over the rejection of five gender bills by lawmakers while in the process of amendment of the 1999 constitution, gathered once again early this morning in front of the National Assembly for the fifth day.

The protest invited participation from women from various groups and began on Wednesday, March 2. The protest urged members of the House of Representatives to take back their decision on three gender bills on on Tuesday, March 8.

However, the women continued their protest urging the House of Senates to join their counterpart in reassessing the gender bills. In addition to this, the women demand the approval of all five bills.

Their demands also include clamors for specific seats in the National Assembly, indigeneship of their husband’s state after five years of being together, and 35% affirmative action for women.

Alongside threatening to vote out the lawmakers that opposed the bills, they insisted that they would continue to picket the gate of the National Assembly until their demands are met.

They asked that the voting pattern of the bills be released to them so they can ascertain which lawmakers who voted against the bills and mobilize women to vote them out.

Groups from which the women who participated in the protest include United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), Federation of Muslim Women Association (FOMWA), Women Organisation for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN), Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA), Women In Business (WIMBIZ), Action Aid, Yiaga Africa, the Islamic Youth League, among others.