By Lukman Olabiyi
Former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Inna Ciroma, Senator Abiodun Olujimi and Deputy Chief whip, Federal House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, have asked Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on violence against women and girls.
Ciroma, Olujimi, Onyejeocha and others made the call, while unveiling ‘Womanifesto: What Nigerian women want’, in Lagos.
Apart from demanding a state of emergency on violence against women and girls, Ciroma, Olujimi, Onnyejeocha and other female politicians across the country, who attended the event asked President Muhammad Buhari led administration to establish special courts for the quick dispensation of justice on sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) cases.
The unveiling of the women’s charter demands was done at Womanifesto Dialogue 2021, a two day event organised by the Gender and Constitution Reform Network (GECORN).
Olujinmi, in her keynote address at the occasion, called for more support for the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GOB) before the National Assembly.
She assured that passage of the bill will address many challenges facing Nigerian women and girls in the country.
Olujimi and other speakers decried the rate of attack on women across the country and called on the government to launch a nationwide campaign through the National Orientation Agency, to challenge and change negative attitudes towards women and girls.
Also speaking, Hajia Saudatu Mahdi, said they will continue to mobilise their counterparts and work with men for the actualisation of all their demands which include; implementation of the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee Report on women political representation, domestication of all treaties and convention that promote the rights of women and girls.