A cross section of Nigerian Youth have demanded the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEO) Bill to create a legal backing to check imbalances in the privileges men have over women and boys. The youth, under the aegis of Education as a Vaccine, took part in the Abuja Women’s March as part of the Global Women’s March 2019, held yesterday in Abuja.
The Executive Director of Education as a Vaccine, Buky Williams, said if the National Assembly failed to pass the bill, her coalition and young people who participated in the march would not vote in the coming election.
“This is a bill that has provisions that really protect women and girls. In Nigeria, we see issues of discrimination, violence and issues that make us wonder why are these things happening,” she said.
She said some women and girls want to get jobs but because they are pregnant they are denied opportunities.
She said Nigeria need to make a nation where women and men, girls and boys have equal rights and are respected.
Responding, The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abiodun Olujimi, who sponsored the bill, assured the youth that she would convey their message to the leadership of the National Assembly.
She said action on the bill had been slowed due to the coming elections but considerations would resume after polls.
She said non passage of the GEO Bill has also affected women participating in the election as only few women made it.
The march was led by Education as a Vaccine with support from National Coalition on Affirmative Action, Vaccine Network for Disease Control, The She Tank, Gender Technical Unit, Girls Voices, Gender and Affirmative Action, and LACVAW.
“We must stop taking issues surrounding girls and women for granted and start setting it amongst the top priorities of government,” the group demanded.
