Huna na di wahala wey dey ground for Nigeria as plenty women don gather for National Assembly gate! Dem come dey shout for lawmakers to push quick quick make dem pass di Women Reserved Seats Bill before di 2027 election land.
This bill no be small matter o! E go change di constitution wey come from 1999, make dem create special seats for women for National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. Di aim na to tackle di gbagan of low representation wey women dey face for our legislative wahala.
Ene Obi wey be former Convener of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room don talk for di rally say, ‘A vote for a woman na vote for life. Women na di hope of life.’ She sabi say dem lawmakers don make progress but no plenty time dey make dem delay di bill. ‘We don organize ourself well, we no come to fight, we just wan make dem hear us.’
As e be, Rahila Dauda wey represent di International Federation of Women Lawyers no gree keep quiet. She don throw more light say di matter wey dey happen for di country no fit continue like dis. ‘No be wetin dey right, for place wey more than half of di population na women, only 4 or 5 dey sit down for National Assembly?’ She dey shout, ‘Na now be di time, make dem pass di bill!’
Di women wey rally come also shout say make dem include women wey get disability for di reserved seats matter. One of dem yarn say, ‘We want inclusion, rights for women with disabilities. Oya, we dey ask for five percent reservation for dem too, we don tire for exclusion!’
Wetin dey happen for Nigeria no be new thing. Since di democratic matter don start for 1999, women representation don dey drop like wetin dem dey call ‘kirikiri.’ In di last election, di number of women wey fit waka enter di federal level don turn to small small as if dem dey play hide and seek. Past efforts to push more women comot for di shadows don dey meet roadblock – gender bills for 2022 don dey vex dem!
Proudly, dem dey carry di banner of ‘Women Occupy National Assembly’ to show say dem dey serious. People wey dey support di reserved seats matter dey call am temporary solution wey go fit change di wahala wey women dey face. For countries like Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, di manipulation don make sense well, but opposition dey fear say e fit conflict with equal competition matter.
So, wetin go happen next? Di ball dey for di lawmakers’ court now, and di women don make dia position clear: dem ready make dem pass di bill on time for Africa to sabi say Nigeria dem get ogbonge women too. Make we dey watch, who know wetin go happen next!
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