The National President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Ladi Bala, has described the recent action taken by the National Assembly to reject the five Gender Bills as a disreputable backward move towards the development space in Nigeria and a global eye sore .
According to her, “The sad and unacceptable rejection of the five gender bills that speak to the issues against women, especially discrimination and exclusion from involvement in governance and contribution to nation building is not only shameful, retrogressive but a huge tragedy in the development space of Nigeria and the eye of the global community.”
In a statement she issued on the International Women’s Day, the National President of NAWOJ noted that history would have been made by the 9th Assembly if the legislature had allowed the true definition of democracy take its roots in Nigeria.
She lamented that the members chose the path of exclusion and discriminatory agenda against Nigerian women and girls.
According to her, no nation that excludes more than 50 percent of a segment of its demography can develop as expected.
She then appealed to members of the federal legislature, as a matter of urgency, necessity and in the interest of the spirit and letters of democracy, to discard their earlier posture and allow for the gender bills to be re-represented and passed into law.
The NAWOJ leadership also called on all Nigerian women to rise and demand from their representatives the fulfilment of the social contract of effective representation they signed.
Ladi Bala noted that it is equally instructive to note that the fight towards ensuring that Nigeria corrects the wrongs requires the support of patriotic men who believe in a better Nigeria.
Until the Gender bills are reconsidered and passed into law, she opined, Nigeria cannot be seen or considered to be a full democratic nation, stressing that the time to stop gender discrimination and biases is now.
Speaking on the theme for the 2022 International Women’s Day, “Attaining Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”, she explained that it would remain an illusion in Nigeria except a pragmatic approach towards attaining and balancing gender-related issues in the country is adopted and respected by all.
