A board member of the Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER) on Wednesday, lamented that it is a sad situation that over 15 states in Nigeria are without female representation at the state assembly level.
Speaking at a stakeholders engagement forum in Abuja, Dr Ibrahim Banaru Abubakar said “Today we convene, not just to discuss policy, but to confront a persistent imbalance that undermines the very fabric of our representative democracy in Nigeria, this tight under-representation of women in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“In a country where more than half of the population, or nearly half of the population are women, they occupy only 3.6% of the Senate seats, 4.7% in the House of Representatives. And I can tell you in 15 Nigerian states, there’s no single woman in the state assembly. This is not acceptable.
“It is not only a gap, but a gaping wound in the heart of our democracy in Nigeria. And make no mistake, when women are absent from chambers of power, it is not only women who suffer. The nation suffers, policies also suffer, and our families suffer”.
Tribune findings revealed that Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Abia, Osun, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara state assemblies are without female representation at the state assembly.
Speaking further, the Board Member explained that as a policy analyst and a physician, “I have seen what exclusion looks like. I have watched women, brilliant, capable, and visionary wait outside hospital boardrooms, party primaries, and policy-making tables because we have locked the door as men. I have seen what the cost of silence is, and that is why we are speaking up.
“And I have learned this, when you exclude half of the population from decisions, you limit the whole population from a promising future. And that is what we are trying to change from today”.
Abubakar stated that the proposed Special Seats for Women in the National and State House of Assemblies Bill seeks to address these imbalances, by reserving additional seats for women in both national and state assemblies.
“The Special Seats Bill is not about political favors, it is about political fairness. It proposes a constitutional amendment to temporarily create additional seats for women in our national and state assemblies, reviewable in 16 years” he stated.
Also speaking, German Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Annett Günther reemphasized the importance of the advancement of gender-inclusive governance and the political empowerment of women in Nigeria.
“As the former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once said, strengthening women is not the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.
“Just like him, Germany firmly believes that gender equality is not only a question of rights, but it is a vital requirement for sustainable development, social justice, and a resilient democracy.
“We know from experience, both from our journey and from international best practices, that societies function better when they harness the talents and perspectives of all their citizens, men and women alike. Today we gather to discuss an issue that goes to the heart of democratic representation, the Special Seats Bill.
“We are all aware how low the number of women in the National Assembly is, it was mentioned before by Mr. Abubakar, and it’s one of the lowest in Africa. This is not just a statistic, it represents millions of unheard voices, perspective missing in policymaking, in political discussions, and it is a systematic barrier to the needs that need to be addressed with urgency and courage” she stated.
Also at the event, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Public Account, Hon. Jeremiah Umaru said the engagement is coming at the right time.
“Gender inclusiveness is one of the key areas of this 10th Assembly, and for the Honorable Members to be here, you should know that already we take it very seriously.
“We have engaged in different parliaments within Africa and across Africa and we discovered that women have special seats in the parliament. Looking at Uganda, the Speaker of the parliament of Uganda is a woman, and they have special seats for women, talking about Kenya and so on.
“Nigeria should also think and follow suit. So for us, we are here to let you know that we will support and we will continue to be part of this engagement to ensure that women are adequately represented in the political space in Nigeria,” he said.
The stakeholders’ engagement aims to create awareness of the need for adequate female representation in Nigeria’s political space as well as seek support for the Special Seats Bill before the National Assembly.
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