Women’s rights organisations and gender advocates on Thursday staged a demonstration at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, calling on lawmakers to pass the proposed Reserved Seats Bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Nigeria’s legislative institutions.
Gatekeepers News reports that the groups said the constitutional amendment presents a crucial opportunity to address the long-standing gender imbalance in political representation and promote more inclusive governance across the country.
Speaking after the rally, Ebere Ifendu, national chairperson of the Women’s Political Participation Technical Working Group (TWG), said the bill was not considered during Thursday’s plenary but remains on the House order paper.
“The special seats bill remains on the order paper and will be considered when the assembly resumes. We remain optimistic and committed to engaging lawmakers and the media to ensure its passage,” she said.
Ifendu noted that the proposal has been expanded to include two reserved Senate seats for women in each of the six geopolitical zones, bringing the number of additional seats in the upper chamber to 12.
She described the development as a major step forward in the campaign for greater female representation in governance.
“We ask all advocates and partners to stay steadfast. This bill is closer to passage than ever before,” she added.
Also speaking, Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, president of the Nigeria League of Women Voters (NILOWV), said the bill would strengthen inclusive governance and enrich legislative decision-making.
“For us, there is no better time to pass this bill than now. Having more women in parliament is a sign that Nigeria wants inclusive policies and governance that reflects the diversity of its population,” she said.
Awunah-Ikyegh expressed confidence that members of the 10th National Assembly would support the proposal.
“We believe the 10th assembly is ready to write its name in the history books by taking this important step. Women will provide quality representation and bring perspectives that will enrich legislative debates and decision-making.”
Ene Obi, founder of the Ene Obi Development Centre (EODC), also expressed optimism about the bill’s prospects.
“We are very optimistic that they will pass it this time because it will increase inclusion, and that is what we are looking for. The more women we have in governance, the better represented our society becomes,” she said.
According to the advocates, the proposed constitutional amendment would create 12 additional seats for women in the Senate, 37 more in the House of Representatives and three reserved seats for women in each of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Supporters of the bill said the measure is intended as a temporary affirmative action mechanism to address historical barriers to women’s political participation and improve their representation in elected offices.
They urged lawmakers to approve the proposal, describing it as a landmark reform capable of strengthening democracy and ensuring broader inclusion in governance.
