ENUGU — The Enugu State House of Assembly encourages women to present private member bills aimed at improving their living conditions as well as promoting women’s active participation in politics.
The Speaker Edward Ubosi represented by the House Spokesperson, Jeff Mbah said this on Tuesday when he addressed women who stormed the Legislative Complex to register their grievances on the rejection of the five gender bills.
He revealed that the Enugu State House of Assembly is gender-friendly and has no bias of any sort against the womenfolk as the women in their midst are principal officers.
“We are one of the first states that passed and signed into law the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP),”
“We are gender-friendly and will continue to be so knowing the role of women in governance; many of our women are doing very well even at the international level,” the spokesperson said.
But the Executive Director, Women Aid Collective (WACOL), Prof. Joy Ezeilo, while registering her discontent at the National Assembly’s rejection of gender bills stated,
“Nothing stops the Enugu State House of Assembly from having gender equality bill for sustainable development of the state; what the women are looking for in Abuja lies at the State Houses of Assembly also.”
“Every state Legislature is accountable. There is nothing that prevents a state from enacting gender and equal opportunities bills, and presenting it as their contribution to the development of women; this is to show that you believe in women,” Prof Ezeilo said.
Ezeilo further lamented that the rejection of the bills demonstrates an unwillingness to give women their rightful position in the country, and wondered why women should not accord the opportunity to confer citizenship status on their foreign spouses.
She then threatened that Nigerian women will identify those against the gender bills and ensure that they don’t return to the National Assembly in 2023.
Also speaking during the peaceful protest, the Enugu State Chairperson, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Ngozi Ngene, charged women in the state to arise and participate in politics, in order to have their voices heard.
Ngene pointed out that the voices of women would not be heard, if they shy away from participating in the decision-making process, especially the one pertaining to them.
She hinted that the NAWOJ is putting together a gender-related bill, which will be forwarded to the Enugu State House of Assembly, and expressed hope that the legislative bill would receive expeditious passage.
International Women Day is celebrated 8th day of March every year and the IWD 2022 campaign theme chosen by the United Nation is Gender Equality Today For Sustainable Tomorrow: #BreakTheBias
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