Senator Oluremi Tinubu has expressed concerns over the rejection of Gender bills by the National Assembly (NASS), calling on Nigerians to break the gender bias in all spheres of national life to enable both men and women contribute to development.
Tinubu made the call in her statement to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day with the theme: “Break the Bias”, stressing that having more women voices at the national assembly will make much difference.
“This year’s theme, ‘Break the Bias’ is apt, particularly in light of last week’s Constitutional Amendment votes. Imagine a situation where we have more women in the National Assembly, imagine how much difference our voices will make.
“Imagine a world where women occupy more managerial and executive positions, and how much more our interests will be represented,” the statement said.
“For any of this to be possible however, we must break the bias. There are hurdles we must cross, but we must put aside our differences if we must achieve a lot. On this journey of ensuring gender inclusiveness, we need one another. We must realise that despite our differences, we are comrades-in-arms, working towards the same goal,” the statement added.
The statement therefore tasked all stakeholders to do their bid in challenging the gender biases, stressing the need for conscious support to women to enable more growth of women.
“What role are you playing to challenge gender biases and discrimination in your community?
“What are you doing as an employer to bridge the gender wage gap? How are you inspiring younger Nigerian girls and women? Are you still conforming to gender stereotypes? What are you doing to ensure that girls and women around you have a voice and can use it effectively?
“We must make a conscious decision to support other women in our various spheres. We must build ladders for the women coming behind us to climb on and where necessary, we must do away with institutionalised bias and the laws and that entrench the bias.
“We must continue to do the most to challenge assumptions, raise the bar and shatter stereotypical ceilings in businesses, our chosen careers, management and public office,” the statement said.
