Stakeholders in Ebonyi State have endorsed the Reserved Seat Bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Nigeria’s National and State Assemblies. The support came during a Constitution Review Advocacy Town Hall held in Abakaliki, organized by Women Aid Collective (WACOL) with support from UN Women and the Government of Canada.
The Reserved Seat Bill proposes additional legislative seats exclusively for women, to address the stark gender imbalance in political offices. WACOL’s Head of Programmes, Nkechi Igwe, described the low female representation as “unacceptable,” noting that women, though active voters, remain sidelined in governance.
Project Manager Helen Kalu shared troubling statistics: women occupy only 3% of Senate seats and 4% in the House of Representatives, despite 1,019 women contesting in the 2023 State Assembly elections — with only 48 winning.
The bill includes a 16-year sunset clause, offering a temporary boost while encouraging long-term gender balance.
Chief Philip Ogbonnaya Okorie, Ebonyi Commissioner for Inter-party Affairs, affirmed government support and referenced the governor’s “People’s Charter of Needs” agenda, which includes women empowerment.
“We are all born of women. Anything that concerns women should be treated with utmost seriousness.” He added, “Women are prudent managers of resources.”
Eze Paul Ogodo Egbe
Civil society, political parties, and religious leaders also lent support. Rev. Brutus Arumuowa urged women to build political capacity, likening today’s need to the Biblical Esther.
Participants agreed: while the bill opens doors, women must present qualified candidates to fill them. The goal is inclusion — not tokenism.
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