Gender Advocates Amplify Calls for Women's Political Inclusion
Nigerian stakeholders and gender inclusion advocates have intensified their demands for legislative reforms that would guarantee reserved seats for women in the National Assembly. This urgent call was made during the WOMEN OF WORDS (WOW) 2025 – ALL CREATIVE HUB event organized by Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI) on Thursday.
The gathering, themed 'Unreserved for Reserved Seats: The Role of Women in Policymaking Towards Ending GBV', served as a crucial platform for addressing the systemic barriers preventing women from equal political participation. Speakers unanimously demanded not only increased women representation in governance but also an end to all forms of gender-based violence against women.
Legislative Milestone at Hand
Organizers emphasized that this year's event coincides with a nationally significant moment as the Nigerian Parliament prepares to deliberate on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB1349). This landmark legislative proposal aims to dramatically increase women's representation in governance while strengthening accountability in policy responses to Gender-Based Violence.
In her powerful address, Adaora Sydney-Jack, Executive Director of GSAI, declared that a nation's story remains incomplete when half its population is excluded from decision-making rooms. "This gathering is not merely an event, it is a declaration arising, a collective heartbeat of women who refuse to be silent, unseen or seen any longer," she stated.
Drawing from her personal political experience, Sydney-Jack described navigating "a terrain where women are told to dream small, speak softly and wait patiently for a seat that may never be offered." She emphasized that women are not lacking in competence but in space within the political arena.
The Stark Reality of Gender-Based Violence
The event highlighted alarming statistics that underscore the urgency of their demands:
- 96% of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence
- 36% of married women are survivors of intimate partner violence
- Thousands more suffer in silence for every woman who speaks out
Adaora Sydney-Jack characterized gender-based violence as systemic rather than random, noting that "It thrives where women's voices are weak, where representation is thin, where policies are blind to the realities women live every day."
She framed the reserved seats bill as not merely a political proposal but a lifeline and corrective measure to centuries of exclusion. "Reserve seats are not favours. They are correcting measures to centuries of exclusion. They offer what every society must give its daughters, a chance not to be seen as beneficiaries, but as leaders," she asserted.
Structural Barriers in Nigerian Politics
Ezenwa Nwagwu, Chairman of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) and board chairman of GSAI, identified cultural and structural barriers as primary obstacles keeping women from political participation. He described Nigerian politics as "generally exclusionary in the sense that there is no accommodation for women."
The event also featured contributions from other distinguished speakers including:
- Executive Secretary National Assembly Library Fund, Henry Nwanwuba
- Representatives of Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu
- British High Commission officials
- Chief of Naval Staff representatives
Beyond conventional speeches, the program incorporated storytelling, drama, and cultural expressions as innovative tools for advancing gender equality and influencing policy conversations. This creative approach demonstrated how artistic mediums can effectively communicate the urgent need for political reform and gender justice in Nigeria.
