The National Assembly has been called upon to pass the rejected gender bills into law to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations for women across the nation.
Dr. Adiya Ode, the Team Leader for Propcom plus at Palladium International Development Limited, and Agriculture and Climate Change Programme funded by the UK-Aid made the call while speaking exclusively to journalists.
Ode urged the Deputy President of the Senate, who she said is responsible for all the constitutional amendments to make a statement on the rejected five gender bills coinciding with the International Women’s Day, calling on women to hold legislators who voted against the bills to account.
She stressed that Nigeria is over 50% of women who are also contributing to the growth of the nation, adding that the country cannot attain the desired growth if women are left out.
“We are holding the National Assembly to account; women are at least 50% of the population of Nigeria. The country cannot make progress if we deprive them of the assets and access they need to reach the limits of their potentials. So the National Assembly has to pass those bills.
“I expect the Nigerian government to make a statement on the International Women’s Day that they will stick to the 35% Affirmative Action in all the appointments and pronouncements, and that that they would live up to the 35% Affirmative Action which they committed to,” she said.
She called for a more sufficient and sustainable access to finance for women to enable them make economic decisions about investment, their children and husbands’ future and their homes and lives as well, while frowning at the microcredit system that doesn’t yield desired empowerment for women.
“I envision a future where women are empowered in their own right. One of the things I really don’t like is microcredit because I think microcredit keeps people in poverty.
“I envision a future where women have access to finance; not a token credit that they are given that they can just live from day to day. Rather, I envision a future where women have access to sufficient finance to make economic decisions about investment, about your children’s future, about their husband’s future and their homes and lives,” she stressed.
She also called on the Minister of Women Affairs to push the advocacy on women’s economic empowerment as well as the Affirmative Action to foster a more dignified life for women.
