UN Women Pushes Bill to Empower Women in Politics

Abuja,Nigeria: UN Women, in partnership with the Women Political Participation Partners Working Group, has called on Nigerians to support the Special Seats Bill—an initiative designed to increase women’s representation in both the National Assembly and state legislatures.

The appeal was made during a high-level conference held in Abuja titled “Conference on the Special Seats Bill: Opportunities and Challenges – Options for National and Grassroots Advocacy.” The event gathered stakeholders from across civil society, development agencies, and women’s rights groups to strategize ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, emphasized the importance of sustained advocacy and citizen involvement in addressing gender disparities. “Poverty, exclusion, and underrepresentation overwhelmingly affect women and girls,” she noted, urging support for structural reforms to improve female political participation.

Citing Inter-Parliamentary Union data, Eyong highlighted Nigeria’s underperformance compared to regional peers. Women currently occupy just 3% of Senate seats and 3.9% of the House of Representatives—figures far below those of Rwanda, South Africa, and Senegal. She stressed the importance of backing the 10th Assembly’s efforts to introduce reserved seats for women as a step toward meaningful affirmative action.

As part of its advocacy strategy, UN Women has launched a media campaign spanning 15 radio stations and two national TV channels. Additionally, 120 townhall meetings are scheduled across 24 states, with over half a million citizens expected to engage and endorse the bill.

Eyong also acknowledged the financial and technical assistance from the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom, reaffirming UN Women’s commitment to working alongside the Nigerian government on shared priorities.

Mrs. Ebere Ifendu, Chairperson of the UN Women Political Participation Technical Working Group, emphasized that the bill aims not only to boost numbers but also to ensure inclusive governance. “With women holding less than 5% of seats in the National Assembly, compared to a global average of 26.5%, the need for deliberate action is clear,” she said.

The proposed legislation includes reserving 74 seats in the National Assembly and 108 in State Houses of Assembly—totaling 182 seats—for women. According to Ifendu, these temporary provisions are compatible with Nigeria’s current first-past-the-post electoral system and will not displace existing male legislators.

The current push comes after the 9th National Assembly’s rejection of similar gender-related bills in 2022, which prompted protests from feminist and civil society groups. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has since pledged that the 10th Assembly is committed to revisiting all five previously rejected gender bills, including those that failed to receive presidential assent.

By Taiwo Olatinwo/ May 1, 2025