The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has pledged his support for gender bills aimed at increasing women’s political participation and representation in the legislature. The commitment came during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Speaker’s Office and UN Women to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Represented by Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Abbas emphasized the need for early advocacy and lobbying efforts to gain the support of lawmakers, stakeholders, and rural communities. He encouraged women to start advocating early and setting up structures to push for the gender bills.
The MoU aims to increase women’s parliamentary seats and promote gender equality through joint advocacy efforts, capacity development, and youth legislative mentorship initiatives. The Deputy Speaker assured that the parliament will uphold the provisions of the MoU and work towards increasing women’s participation in politics.
UN Women Country Representative, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, emphasized the importance of parliaments in enacting laws that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. She noted that Nigeria’s rating in Africa is low, but expressed hope in the parliament’s commitment to sustainable development.
The MoU signing ceremony marks a significant step towards promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria.
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