From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo and the Sultan of Sokoto. Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, have thrown their weight behind the women groups protesting the rejection of the gender bills in the ongoing amendments to the 1999 Constitution by members of the National Assembly.
Both leaders spoke Thursday night at the launch of a new project “Advance: Women’s Political participation in Nigeria” by United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and funded by the government of Canada for the upcoming four years.
Represented by Iyalode Alaba Lawson, Obasanjo decried the fact that Nigeria, today has the lowest representation of women in elected office in Africa, under 5% in national and state assemblies, contrary to the African Union prescribed standard of 5050 representation of women and men in public life and decision making.
The former president said: “The ongoing constitutional review process is an important opportunity to remove barriers and gender based discrimination that impede women and girls from assessing and enjoying their full rights as citizens in Nigeria. The five gender amendments proposed in the constitutional reforms process are very pertinent. The indigeneship to allow women who are married to an indigene of a state, different from her state of origin to stand for elections in her husband’s state.
“The citizenship bill to allow women in Nigeria to confer citizenship rights to their foreign spouses in the same way that men are able to do. The additional seats for women bill to create 111 additional seats for women in the House and Senate, the affirmative action for women in political party administration bill to allow a minimum of 35% representation of women in party administrative positions and the affirmative action in the appointment of ministers and commissioners bill to allow for a minimum of 10% representation of women ministerial appointments and as commissioners.
“These bills cumulatively will create a more level playing field for women to participate in politics and in public life. Nigeria needs all hands on deck to address this deep seated development challenges.
“Evidence confirms that increased human participation in the political sphere and in the leadership helps to build safer and more stable societies and when women are in decision making position, more inclusive and innovative decisions are made.”
The Sultan, who was represented by the Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Shehu Yamusa III, said Islam backs equal opportunities for both gender, urging the lawmakers and Nigerians to support the passage of the bills.
The Sultan said: “Islam is a right based and gender concern religion. It grants women and girls rights, it also prohibites cruel and harmful practices against them. This is evident in the nobel and Holy Quran and the prophetic tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
He said added “women, are symmetrical partners of men, this partnership is both in matrimonial and public levels. In addition, the sovereign verses in the Holy Quran, one of the longest chapters in the Holy Quran is dedicated to women and girls. So why not Nigerian constitution?
The monarch urged “the distinguished senators and honourable members of the National Assembly and members of the general public to support the bills and pass them. They are in our own interest and the interest of our country.“
Acting Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Kevin Tokar, on his part said through the advance women’s political participation in Nigeria project, Canada will be contributing 8 million Canadian dollars over four years to increase the participation, election and appointment of women in Nigeria.
“This is both looking towards the 2023 electoral cycle and beyond to the next election”, he said.
The UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Comfort Lamptey, said the project will run in six states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The states are Kaduna, Kwara, Borno, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Cross River.
She said: These are states in each of the geo-political zone and we will also ensure that neighboring states, apart from those principal states also derive benefit from this partnership.”
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative, Ari Aisen, said the monetary organ is glad to support legislation to foster equality of political participation of women in Nigeria.
He said the studies that IMF has conducted, shows that gender equality and higher women participation in decision making as well as immediate participation in economic activity are critical for inclusive growth and development.
“The Nigerian economy and decision making are set to greatly benefit from much higher participation of women. Let’s collectively stand for not only what is morally right, but also economically smart.”