Constitution Review: Women groups seek additional legislative seats 
Coalition of Women-Led Organizations, has tasked the National Assembly to create additional seats especially for women at the both National and States Houses of Assembly in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.
The leader of the group, Dr Mohamed Yahya, presented the request in a draft Gender Bill at the zonal public hearing of the Senate on the 1999 Constitutional Review in Kano on Tuesday.
The coalition, led by organizations such as FIDA, RAPA, WACOL, PONGWAN, and WOWIKAN, aimed at securing additional seats for women at the National Assembly and States Houses of Assembly
Yahya said that the efforts were focused on addressing the underrepresentation of Women in the Nation Elected offices.
“The gender Bill proposes several key measures, including the allocation of additional Senate seats. Specifically, the Bill suggests one additional seat for women in all 37 states, including the FCT, which would result in 37 reserved seats for women in the Senate.
“Another crucial proposal within the Gender Bill pertains to the House of Representatives. The coalition advocates for one seat for every three senatorial districts, which would translate to 47 seats for women in the House of Representatives,” he said.
He added that the Bill proposed three additional seats for women in each state’s assembly, utilizing the three senatorial zones as a basis. This measure was to ensure women’s representation at the state level as well.
Yahya emphasized that the primary objective of the Gender Bill was to ensure women’s representation in governance. He highlighted that women constitute 45-49% of Nigerian voters but are severely underrepresented in the National Assembly and State legislatures.
“Democracy is a game of numbers. If you look at it, women constitute over 45 to 49 percent of the Nigerian voters. But women are not represented.”
Habiba Ahmed, Senior Programs Officer of Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative, urged the government to accept, pass, and fully implement the special reserved seat for women Bill. She stressed the importance of this legislation for promoting women’s participation in governance.
Ahmed also emphasized the need for electoral reform, including an independent INAC chairman nomination process, to ensure free and fair electoral processes. This, she argued, is crucial for guaranteeing the effectiveness of the proposed Gender Bill.
“The coalition, which includes WRAPA, WOTC, WACOL, FIDA, and other women’s groups, enjoys support from UN Women.
“We are calling on the government to ensure that the special reserved seat for women Bill is being accepted, passed, and followed up to be fully implemented so that we see women’s full participation in politics and in governance, ” she said.
