Legislators press Tinubu for 35% female representation

Female legislators in the 9th National Assembly, under the aegis of Women in Parliament, on Monday called on the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to enforce the National Gender Policy of Nigeria by allotting 35 per cent of appointments in the public sector to the womenfolk.

According to them, anything less than 35 per cent would not be accepted.

The WIP members, who bared their minds during a joint press conference with Nigerian Women Trust Fund, said Tinubu should adhere to the rule of law and mainstream women in appointive offices.

The Chief Executive Officer of NWTF, Mufuliat Fijabi, observed that despite the country’s adoption of the National Gender Policy and other international instruments, women continue to be marginalised in politics and decision-making processes.

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She, however, stressed that the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Tinubu has the opportunity to change this narrative and ensure greater inclusion of women in governance.

The leader of WIP and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Women in Parliament, Taiwo Oluga, representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan federal constituency of Osun State, highlighted the importance of gender mainstreaming in governance, stating that women constitute over 50 per cent of the population and their contributions to nation-building could not be overemphasised.

Oluga said, “We have competent women who can occupy appointive offices across the board and contribute to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. It is, therefore, imperative that the incoming administration mainstreams women in appointive offices as prescribed in the National Gender Policy and other international instruments. We cannot accept anything less than 35 per cent.”

A contestant for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Miriam Onuoha, and two aspirants for Deputy Speaker, Adewunmi Onanuga and Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, also called for greater inclusion of women in leadership positions and urged the incoming administration to prioritise this.