Constitution amendment: State assembly speakers pledge support for gender parity

The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria has pledged to support the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to ensure gender parity and enact laws to improve the fortunes of women and girls in the country.

The conference made the pledge Thursday night in Abuja, when the coalition of women groups held an interactive dinner with the Speakers of the 36 State Legislatures.

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This coalition of groups which is a network of over 100 women groups has demanded for the expunging of all provisions of the law and political party constitutions, which infringed on the rights of women in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the conference of Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Suleiman, said that with the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law by 31 State Houses of Assembly, the work to protect the rights of women and other vulnerable population has just begun.

“Violence against women remains one of the most widespread, prevalent, and largely unpunished violations of human rights in the world today. Legislators at the National and State level are key stakeholders in the elimination of gender-based violence in all its forms and are strategically placed to drive the national changes required to achieve this aim.

“We have both individual and collective responsibility to not only enact strong legislation but also to monitor the implementation of these policies and hold the executive arm of government accountable for making this legislation more effective.

“We, therefore, commit to continuous partnership with civil society organisations particularly woman rights organisations to support State action plans on ending gender-based violence through oversight role,” Suleiman said.

Speaking earlier, the chairperson, Network of Sexual Assault Referral Centres in Nigeria, Prof. Joy Ezeilo, commended the swift passage of the VAPP law at the state level.

She urged the Speakers to take the required and necessary action to enhance smooth passage of the proposals to increase women’s leadership in parliament, party structures and appointive positions.

In her opening remark, the Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said that the effectiveness of the VAPP law is undermined by funding for implementation.

She said, “We need public budgets to activate the VAPP Law, absence of public budget allocation for GBV response enables reliance on donor funding which in most cases are time bound.

“The nature of GBV is recurrent and outlives the timeline for donor funding. We therefore, urge the Conference of Speakers as they carry out their legislative mandate to support oversight for implementation of the law. The VAPP Law is yet to be passed in a few States, we appeal to legislatures to Pass the Law in their states.

“As we move towards amendment of the Nigerian constitution, women empowerment and protection of the rights of women must be prioritized in the constitution. The Legislatures are presented with a gold opportunity to build a more inclusive society that upholds the dignity of Nigerian women.”

Also, Dr. Lydia Umar who represented Womanifesto, commended the efforts of the Speakers in ensuring that the VAPP Act was domesticated and called on the other states to ensure passage and domestication in their respective states.

On her part, Comfort Lamptey, Country Director of UN Women representative Nigeria and ECOWAS commended the efforts of the legislators in collaborating with Women to help achieve the desired goals to eliminate gender bias policies.

The 31 Speakers who have domesticated the VAPP Act in their various States were given awards for the critical roles played and commended for their contributions to the protection of the rights of women and girls.

Dr. Limota Goroso-Giwa, representing the National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA) commended the legislators for their support and urged them to continue to advocate for Women.

Other Women group leaders who attended the event were Barrister Ebere Ifendu of Women in Politics Forum; Felicia Onibon, 100 Women Lobby Group; Esther Eghobamien Mishelia, Women Arise Development and Humanitarian Initiative; Comfort Leah Ash Foundation Bauchi, women representatives from Zamfara and Sokoto states.