Pass Gender Bills Within 7 Days Or Face Nationwide Protests, Women Warn NASS Members

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Protests by women groups against the rejection of gender bills will hold in all states should the proposed laws not passed within seven days.

Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, co-founder of Womanifesto, disclosed this on Wednesday at a media briefing in Abuja. 

The federal lawmakers had voted against bills seeking to provide more opportunities for women in governance, prompting an #OccupyNASS protest by women groups at the National Assembly complex.

But, after 10 days, the women suspended the protest on Tuesday following a promise by lawmakers to revisit the gender bills.

Speaking on the development, Akiyode-Afolabi said women groups across the country would continue advocacy efforts to ensure that lawmakers attended to their demands.  

Said she: “We are determined to hold them accountable to their promises to ensure that within seven legislative days, the gender bills are recommitted and positively voted for the inclusive growth and development of Nigeria.

“We have the commitment of women groups across Nigeria to support lobbying and advocacy to ensure that we reach as many NASS members as possible. 

“We also urge all Nigerians, especially women, not to give up hope as we shall continue to apply pressure to persuade the NASS to act responsibly. We will continue to engage the media and state assemblies to vote in favour of the gender bill”.

When asked what the women would do if the national assembly did not keep its promise, Akiyode-Afolabi said the protests would continue.

Maintained she: “We have occupied before. It won’t take us anything to occupy again.

“We are going to occupy in a bigger way. We have started planning from state to state. It will not only be at the National Assembly; we are going to occupy all the states in this country. It is not a matter of threat; it is a matter of affirming our presence in the country. So, it is not negotiable”.

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