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Constitution Review: Women Empowerment Necessary, Strategic For Economic Growth – Speaker Abbas

Published

2 months ago

October 28, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…as First Lady say Nigerian women struggling to find their place in governance, politics

By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has said that the demand for increased representation of women is not a luxury but a necessity.

The Speaker stated this while giving his keynote address at the International Legislative Dialogue on Women and the Constitution Amendment Process in Nigeria, which was organised by the House Committee on Constitution Review with support from the Policy and Legal Advocacy Center (PLAC) and funded by the European Union in Abuja on Monday.

Abbas who urged everyone to dismantle institutional barriers, stressed the need to empower women, noting that it is a necessary, and strategic move for economic growth.

According to him, it is disheartening that females are low in numbers at the National Assembly, even as he noted that the dialogue was not for rhetoric but to establish a clear and actionable path toward meaningful reform.

He said: “Today represents a meaningful step forward in our collective commitment to inclusive governance and national progress.

“Our goal is to ensure that Nigerian women, an essential part of our nation’s social and economic fabric, secure their rightful place within our governance framework. Empowering women is not only a moral and democratic imperative but also a strategic economic necessity.”

The Speaker said that researches from global institutions, like the United Nations, World Economic Forum, reveals that organisations and countries benefit from better decision-making, stronger economic growth, and enhanced social well-being when women hold leadership roles.

“Women bring unique perspectives influencing vital issues, from healthcare to economic policy, creating legislation that resonates with millions. McKinsey estimates that closing gender gaps could add $12 trillion to the global GDP by 2025, underscoring the immense untapped potential of women’s inclusion. Thus, increased representation of women is not a luxury but a necessity for sustainable national development and stability.

“Around the world, and particularly in Africa, we see encouraging examples of gender inclusion. Rwanda, with over 60 percent women representation in its parliament, has shown us that robust, intentional policies work. South Africa, Namibia, and Senegal have all taken significant strides toward inclusivity, reshaping their political landscapes in ways Nigeria can learn from. These countries have demonstrated the profound impact of women’s perspectives on governance and development.

“For Nigeria, the current numbers are disheartening. Since 1999, women’s representation in our National Assembly has remained disappointingly low. Despite notable contributions from Nigerian women across various sectors, only 20 of the 469 seats in our National Assembly are occupied by women. This stark gap speaks not of a lack of capable women, but of institutional barriers we must dismantle.”

He emphasised that some see increased women’s representation as a threat to the status quo, and noted that “inclusion is not displacement—it is partnership.”

Abbas added that the presence of women complements the contributions of men, enriching the policymaking process.

“If we trust women to shape our homes, nurture our families, and educate our children, we must trust them to contribute to shaping our nation’s future,” he stressed.

He pointing out that affirmative action policies to increase women’s representation are not undemocratic, on the contrary are deeply aligned with democratic principles.

“As lawmakers, we are responsible for advancing policies that reflect the values of fairness and equity. I am proud to state that this 10th House has prioritised inclusivity in our Legislative Agenda. I have directed the Constitution Review Committee to focus on reforms that promote gender equity and provide additional or reserved seats for women in our legislative bodies.

“We must work towards joint ticketing in elections, reserved seats, and conferring equal citizenship rights to foreigners married to Nigerian women. However, reform is a collective responsibility, and we cannot simply issue communiqués or promises. We must translate today’s dialogue into real, actionable outcomes.”

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu in her remarks decried that, Nigerian women are still battling to get their place in politics and governance as a result of sustained policies that put them at a disadvantage.

Senator Tinubu who was represented by First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, who is also the Chairperson, Nigeria Governors Spouses Forum, said, while some gains have been made, it was however disheartening that, in the National Assembly only few women were elected into its two chambers.

She lamented that, while women contribute a lot in the electoral process, their participation is being curtailed as they are denied equal participation in governance and politics.

According to her, progress has been slow in having sustainable process that fast track women participation through robust, wider policies for the girl child and educated, intelligent and potential women leaders in the country.

The First Lady said, there are many things that Nigeria needs to work on especially some socio-cultural inhibitions limiting national growth through women exclusion.

She therefore noted that, there is need for more to gender responsive policies and legislations that will encourage women participation and affirmative initiatives.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Deputy Speaker and Chairman, House Committee on Constitution Amendment, Benjamin Kalu said that, as Nigeria confront the realities that restrict women’s political participation, it is essential to understand the scale and urgency of the issue.

He said, “Data from the recent 2023 general elections highlights the scope of this challenge: 18 political parties fielded a staggering 15,307 candidates.

“However, of these candidates, only 1,552 were women. This sharp contrast is not just a statistic; it is a stark reminder of the societal, structural, and political barriers that continue to inhibit women’s full participation in our democracy.

“Indeed, inclusive governance is not merely an equity issue; it is a strategic imperative. Countries that have successfully integrated women into decision-making roles experience gains in innovation, collaboration across sectors, and, notably, economic growth”.

News

Just in: Tinubu exposes those behind deadly stampedes

Published

3 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Austin Ojomah

President Bola Tinubu has accused organisers for the deadly stampedes that occurred during the distribution of relief materials in three states.

Recall in the past week, chaotic scenes in Ibadan, Anambra and Abuja led to the deaths of over 60 people, including children, as crowds scrambled for food items.

During a Presidential Media Chat on Monday, Tinubu described the events as a critical failure in planning and execution.

Condolences to those who lost a family member, but it is good to give. I have been giving out food stuff, commodities, etc. in Bourdillon.

“I am an organized person and that’s why I have been giving people food for the past 25 years and no incident has happened.

“Let this tragedy not affect us”, the Nigerian leader said.

The president also said he has no plans to reduce his cabinet or sack more ministers.

For the controversial tax reform bills, he said it has come to stay.

He also revealed he has no regrets removing fuel subsidy.

He declared utmost confidence in his security chiefs saying over the past decades, wanton killings has reduced drastically.

News

Tinubu To Hold Maiden Presidential Media Chat Tonight

Published

6 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Naijablitznews

President Bola Tinubu will hold first presidential chat since assuming office on Monday night.

Accoding to a statement released by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the chat will be broadcast at 9 p.m. on the stations of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).

All television and radio stations are requested to hook up to the broadcast.

“The first Presidential Media Chat with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be broadcast at 9 p.m. on Monday, December 23, on the Nigerian Television Authority and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

“All television and radio stations are requested to hook up to the broadcast,” the statement.

News

‘Putin waiting to meet me as soon as possible’ to end Ukraine war – Trump

Published

7 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Naijablitznews

The US President-elect took to the stage AmFest in Phoenix to talk about his contact with the Russian leader.

He told the crowd: “President Putin has said he want to meet with me as soon as possible.”

Trump went on to brand the war “horrible” and stated it needed to end. It is not known whether or not this meeting will take place in person. His comments at the event in the US come as Putin met with another world leader.

Putin held talks in the Kremlin today (December 22) with Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA agency that the talks would focus on “the international situation” and Russian natural gas deliveries.

Visits and phone calls from European leaders to Putin have been rare since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine, although Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban visited Russia in July. Orban’s visit drew condemnation from Kyiv and European leaders.Fico’s views on Russia’s war on Ukraine differ sharply from most other European leaders. The Slovakian PM returned to power last year after his leftist party Smer (Direction) won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. Since then, he has ended his country’s military aid for Ukraine, hit out at EU sanctions on Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine from joining NATO.