The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has called for sustained pressure on the National Assembly to force the lawmakers to vote for the adoption of five gender bills before them.
The Senate at the constitution amendment session voted against the bills, only to reverse itself following public outcry and protests by women groups.
One of the amendments, if passed, would have granted citizenship to foreign-born husbands of Nigerian women; the Nigerian constitution already confers automatic citizenship on foreign-born wives of Nigerian men. Another would have given a woman the right to become indigenes of their husband’s state after five years of marriage.
There were also provisions to assign 35 percent of legislative seats to women, as well as reserve 35 percent of political party leadership, for women.
PRP in a statement by its national leader, Hajiya Hafsatu Umar Dantanko said the bills were consistent with the global best practices, adding that by “rejecting them, members of the National Assembly have demonstrated insensitivity and irresponsibility with reckless abandon on the needs and aspirations of our womenfolk.”
The party condemned the “backward disposition” of the lawmakers of what it said, seeks to increase and improve upon the rights and responsibilities of womenfolk in politics, governance and political party activities.
“We support the vociferous demands of, and calls by, women organizations, civil society associations and other progressive voices to the National Assembly to urgently reverse itself, reconsider the Bills and pass them, as natural justice dictates.
“Furthermore, we support the ongoing peaceful protests and demonstration at the National Assembly by Nigerian women and other well-meaning Nigerians, especially men, which are aimed at effective advocacy and pressure to make members of the National Assembly reverse their chauvinistic, misogynistic and patriarchal and inhuman treatment of women.
“Finally, we call on all women and well-meaning menfolk to unite in the struggle to give Nigerian women their rightful place in politics, governance and party administration in the current terribly male-dominated political environment, which obstruct democratic, as well as socio-economic development in our dear country Nigeria,” it noted.
