Nigeria won’t get better unless gender equality is seen as a solution

The Executive Director of Dinidari Africa, Ndi Kato, says Nigeria would only better when laws that enable the rights of women to survive, freely participate in governance and decision making are given priority.

Kato said this while reacting to the rejection of about five gender-related bills by lawmakers during the Constitution Amendment at the National Assembly on March 1, 2022.

According to her, the action has further shrunk the space for women’s participation in governance and decision making.

“The action of these lawmakers would live with every Nigerian woman for the rest of our lives,” Kato declared. “You could see the excitement with which the no’s were said. These are our rights and issues that would encourage women participation in politics. Just look at the way they were treated.

“From the quality of law-making, you can see that things are lopsided, and this is affecting Nigeria as a country. Women make up over 50% of our population and these people are disenfranchised and their rights are not guaranteed.

“Who would the indigeneship and 35% affirmative action in the political parties hurt? It’s enraging to see that Nigerian men do not want to hear anything that has to do with women’s rights,” she added.

“You can draw a straight line from the quality of lives of women (especially in the north) and the insurgency we are facing today. Countries where women are included in decision making, given equal representation and their rights guaranteed, are better than ours. Until gender equality and equity are considered as a possible solution to our problem, things will not get better.

Speaking on AIT’s ‘Inside the Constitution’, she noted that the rejection of these gender bills has pushed back years of efforts by female lawmakers, lobbyists and activists.

“There’s been so much work, by both local and international organisations, to ensure that these bills get passed. Mrs Aisha Buhari and Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo were at the National Assembly because of these bills. Look at how it went. We have explored all nonviolent means to get these bills passed. The only things on the table are violence and bribery,” she said.

Kato urged the National Assembly to revisit the gender bills before the document is transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent.