The Senate on Tuesday, 15th March, 2016 voted against achieving gender equality by voting against the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill at its second reading. The bill sponsored by Sen. Biodun Olujimi [PDP:Ekiti] sought to incorporate and enforce certain provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Protocol of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
The Bill is intended to give effect to the principles of non-discrimination and sexual equality envisaged in the 1999 Constitution and international agreements that Nigeria is signatory to by focusing on women empowerment, and prevention of all forms of violence and discrimination against women. According to Sen. Olujimi during the debate, the Bill canvassed issues dealing with women, youths and children as it dealt with equal rights of women in marriage, divorce, property and land ownership and promotes equality, development and advancement of all persons in Nigeria.
To achieve this objective, the Bill proposes an institutional framework that aligns all laws relating to women empowerment and puts gender equality at the core of all structures, institutions, policies and procedures of the Government and the private sector. The Bill also mandates all “public and private bodies” with the responsibility of giving effect to a progressive realisation of 50 percent minimum participation of women in decision making structures or boards.
Although the Bill initially garnered some support from Senators like the Deputy Speaker, Ike Ekeremadu [PDP:Enugu] who acknowledged the contributions of Nigerian women in society and Sen. Ali Ndume (APC: Borno) who canvassed that the Bill was long overdue and would help clarify women’s right regarding widowhood and inheritance, some other Senators were skeptical of the religious and traditional implications that its passage would connote. Sen. Ibn Na’allah [APC: Kebbi] for instance noted that the practice of women taking custody of children in the event of their spouses’ death was relative and differed from community to community.
Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha [PDP:Taraba] was also of the view that the Bill was against the biblical and historical perspective of a woman’s place in society and Sen. Adamu Aliero [APC:Kebbi] argued that the interpretation of some provisions in the Bill conflicted with provisions in the Constitution which recognizes the Sharia Court of Appeal. The Sharia Court of Appeal exercises jurisdiction in civil proceedings involving questions of Islamic personal law, such as Family, Inheritance and Divorce.
The Bill, which failed the required voice vote at the end of the debate has left many civil society and women rights activists doubting the legislature’s commitments to achieving gender equality.
