Protesters decry Nigeria's abysmal female representation, urge lawmakers to pass constitutional amendment creating special constituencies for women
Scores of women gathered peacefully at the gates of the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, issuing an urgent demand to federal lawmakers: pass the Women Reserved Seats Bill before the 2027 general elections—or explain to history why they failed.
The proposed legislation, one of 44 prioritized constitutional amendment bills awaiting final voting, would alter the 1999 Constitution to create special constituencies reserved exclusively for women in both the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. It is designed as a temporary corrective measure to address what advocates call a national embarrassment: Nigeria's persistently marginal female legislative representation.
'A Vote for a Woman Is a Vote for Life'
Former Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Ene Obi, addressed the rally with measured urgency, emphasizing that the women were not there to protest but to appeal—and to wait.
"We are not protesting today, we are holding a rally. We believe in non-violence," Obi said. "We are calling on the members of the National Assembly to come here and address us. We are waiting for them patiently."
Obi stressed that timely passage of the bill would allow political parties and prospective female candidates adequate time to prepare for the 2027 elections. "A vote for a woman is a vote for life. Women are the hope of life," she added.
'It Is a Shame'
Rahila Dauda, representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), did not mince words about the current state of female representation in Nigeria's legislature.
"It is a shame that in a country like Nigeria, where more than half of the population are women, unfortunately only about 4 or 5 are in the National Assembly—in both the Senate and the House of Representatives," Dauda declared.
Official figures support her outrage. In the 10th National Assembly, women hold just 3 of 109 Senate seats and 14 of 360 House of Representatives seats—approximately 3.6 percent of legislative positions, far below the global average of 26.5 percent and significantly lower than regional peers like Rwanda, where women hold over 60 percent of parliamentary seats.
"The time is now. The National Assembly should join us and make history to pass this bill. Nigerian women want this bill now," Dauda said.
'Include Us Now'
Another advocate at the rally raised an additional demand: that the proposed framework explicitly reserve seats for women and girls with disabilities, in accordance with the Disability Act.
"We are here to ask for our rights. Rights for inclusion. Rights for representation, rights for participation in governance," she said. "In the Disability Act, five per cent is enshrined for every person with disabilities, including women and girls with disabilities. We want five per cent reservation of special seats for women with disabilities and girls. It is time that we move from exclusion to inclusion. We are saying, include us now."
A Long and Frustrating Road
Nigeria's struggle for gender-inclusive governance has been marked by repeated setbacks. In 2022, five constitutional amendment bills seeking to expand political opportunities for women were voted down by the National Assembly, sparking nationwide protests under the banner "Women Occupy National Assembly."
The 2023 general election recorded a decline in the number of women elected to federal legislative positions, deepening concerns that without structural intervention, entrenched barriers—financial, cultural, and political—will continue to exclude women from power.
Proponents of the reserved seats model point to successful examples across Africa. Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa have all used constitutional or legislative quotas to dramatically increase female parliamentary representation. In Rwanda's case, women now hold 61 percent of seats in the Chamber of Deputies—the highest percentage in the world.
What the Bill Would Do
If passed, the legislation would create special constituencies to be contested exclusively by women, guaranteeing a minimum level of female representation without displacing existing electoral districts. Supporters describe it as a temporary affirmative action measure, not a permanent restructuring of Nigeria's electoral system.
Opponents have raised questions about whether reserved seats could conflict with constitutional principles of equal competition. But advocates argue that in a system where women face systematic disadvantages—from limited access to campaign funding to cultural biases against female leadership—formal equality is insufficient without substantive intervention.
The Clock Is Ticking
With the 2027 elections now less than a year away, the women gathered at the National Assembly gate made clear that time is running out. The bill must pass both chambers of the National Assembly and secure approval from a majority of state Houses of Assembly before it can take effect—a process that cannot be completed overnight.
For the women who stood patiently in the afternoon heat, their demand was simple: pass the bill now, so that when 2027 arrives, Nigerian women will finally have a seat at the table they helped build.
Whether lawmakers will heed that call remains uncertain. But as one protester put it: "We are not going away. We will be here, peacefully, until they hear us. Until they act. Until Nigeria stops being a shame to its women."
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