IWD: NAWOJ Asks NASS To Reconsider Gender Bills

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalist (NAWOJ) Tuesday said until the gender bills are reconsidered and passed into law by the 9th National Assembly, Nigeria cannot be considered a fully democratic nation.

NAWOJ made her position known in a statement signed by the president, Comrade Ladi Bala to congratulate Nigerian women on the occasion of the International Women’s Day celebrated annually on the 8th of March.

Comrade Bala said the celebration of the 2022 International Women’s Day would have been one of the best to be celebrated by not just women in Nigeria but development partners as well as gender activists, if the hope of the constitutional amendment on gender bills had not been dashed by the National Assembly.

‘In fact, history would have been made by the 9th Assembly as the legislature that allowed the true definition of democracy to take it roots in Nigeria but the members chose the path of exclusion and discriminatory agenda against Nigerian women and girls.

“The sad and unacceptable rejection of the five gender bills that speak to the issues against women, especially discrimination and exclusion from involvement in governance and contribution to nation building, is not only shameful, retrogressive but a huge tragedy in the development space of Nigeria and the eye of the global community,” she said.

The NAWOJ leader said no nation excludes more than 50 percent of a segment of its demography and develop as expected.

“NAWOJ therefore appeals to members of the federal legislature to as a matter of urgency, necessity and in the interest of the spirit and letters of democracy to discard their earlier posture and allow for the Gender bills to be re-represented and passed into law just as the leadership of the association calls on all Nigerian women to rise and demand from their representatives the fulfilment of the social contract of effective representation they signed,” the association further stated.

Bala said the time had come to stop gender discrimination “just as it is instructive to note that the fight towards ensuring that Nigeria corrects the wrongs requires the support of patriotic men who believe in a better Nigeria.”