The Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) group of UN Women, Ondo State Chapter, has urged the National Assembly to urgently pass the Reserved Seats Bill for Women to prevent what it described as the continued political exclusion of women in Nigeria.
The call was made by the State Coordinator of GEWE, Mrs. Olabisi Omolona, during a news conference on Friday in Akure, marking the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign.
Omolona said the bill had become a necessity, stressing that Nigerian women continue to carry significant responsibilities — mobilising communities, contributing to the economy, safeguarding democracy through voting and civil participation — yet remain grossly underrepresented in leadership and legislative spaces.
According to her, despite accounting for more than half of Nigeria’s population, women occupy less than five per cent of seats in the National Assembly, a situation she described as “neither democracy nor justice”.
She said the passage of the Reserved Seats Bill would present a historic chance to correct a longstanding structural imbalance that has slowed the country’s development for decades.
> “Women are good enough to vote, mobilise votes, and support political structures, but somehow not deemed good enough to sit in legislative chambers where laws shaping their lives are being drafted. That is the structural violence we must break,” she said.
Omolona added that the bill would ensure that women from all parts of Ondo State — Southern, Northern, and Central Senatorial Districts — have a fair opportunity to participate in governance.
She highlighted the transformative impact of female representation, noting that where women shape public budgets and policies, gains are often seen in maternal health, education, child protection, economic empowerment, community development, and the fight against sexual and gender-based violence.
She cited global research showing that parliaments with strong female representation consistently pass laws that promote peace, health, education and inclusive economic growth.
> “Let history remember this generation of lawmakers as the generation that rescued Nigeria’s democracy from imbalance and inequality,” she said.
Omolona called on civil society organisations, traditional leaders, youth groups and the media to challenge negative stereotypes and help shape public opinion in favour of gender equality.
She urged women and girls to remain resolute, insisting they are not invisible or powerless:
> “You belong in leadership, decision-making, and governance of the nation.”
Also speaking, Mr. Sola Oladeji, the South-West Secretary of GEWE, said the campaign’s focus this year includes tackling emerging forms of abuse, particularly digital violence, which he described as a growing threat to the safety and dignity of women and girls.
He called on the media to play a stronger role by verifying the origins of harmful online content and promoting responsible reporting.
The 16 Days of Activism Campaign is an annual global movement aimed at ending all forms of gender-based violence.
