Nigerian Women Continue Lockdown of National Assembly

For the third week running Nigerian women, under the umbrella of “The Constitution women want” have continued to block the main entrance to the National Assembly in the 3 Arms Zone, Abuja.

The women who converge on the entrance to the legislature say the legislators must redeem Nigeria’s commitment to the 35 per cent affirmative action in the present constitution amendment.

Before the women began their protest, the national assembly had rejected all five amendments seeking to give more voice to women in Nigeria’s national life.

The rejected amendments had sought to give more seats to women in the legislative, guarantee them equal citizenship, give them more roles in party administration and guaranteed women more appointive position in government.

Speaking on AIT’s Sunday issues programme Signature Show, two women activists and coordinators of the lockdown at the National Assembly, Ene Obi and Abiola Afolabi cautioned that the women have remained civil but should not be taken for granted.

Any amendments effected by the national assembly will have to be ratified by two-thirds of state legislatures before it can be effective and the women see the present exercise as an opportunity to create more opportunities for women’s participation in nation-building.