Kalu Defends Reserved Parliamentary Seats For Women

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has stated that the measure seeking to make reserved seats for women successful the National and State Houses of Assembly is not an enactment of tokenism, but a genuine pursuit to summation women’s governmental representation, foster inclusive governance and beforehand a much equitable society.

Kalu, who besides chairs the House Committee connected Constitution Review, made this known portion delivering his remarks astatine a peculiar dialog bid connected the Reserved Seats Bill, hosted by Emerge Women Development Initiative, and tagged, “SheThePeople.”

In a connection issued to journalists successful Abuja by his peculiar adjunct connected property affairs, Udora Orizu and delivered connected his behalf by his Chief of Staff, Sam Hart, the lawman talker described the measure arsenic impervious of a corporate committedness to promoting women’s inclusion successful governance.

He said the lawsuit themed; “Deepening the Conversation, Accelerating Women’s Representation successful Governance,” was a clip for reflection connected the travel truthful acold and a renewed determination to guarantee that women’s voices are not lone heard but amplified successful the halls of power.

To accelerate progress, helium called for candid conversations and greater advocacy to dismantle the systemic barriers hindering women’s afloat information successful politics.

He commended women who person breached societal and governmental barriers and reaffirmed the committedness of the National Assembly to proceed pushing for policies that recognise women not arsenic tokens, but arsenic adjacent partners successful governance.

“I bring you lukewarm compliments from the People’s House — the House of Representatives — and the Committee connected the Review of the 1999 Constitution. This lawsuit is not conscionable a infinitesimal successful time, but a question toward justice, equality, and empowerment,” Kalu said.

“The Reserved Seats Bill, HB 1349, sponsored by myself and co-sponsored by different members of the House, is simply a legislative effort aimed astatine carving retired dedicated abstraction for women successful our governance structures.

“As Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, I judge it is indispensable to analyse the provisions of our Constitution to guarantee they beforehand sex equality and women’s empowerment.

“This measure is not conscionable different portion of authorities — neither is it an enactment of tokenism. It is simply a testament to our corporate committedness to alteration the communicative and disrupt the presumption quo that has agelong excluded women from decision-making tables.”

Kalu emphasised the request to code gaps wrong electoral laws, governmental enactment structures, and societal norms that hinder women’s practice successful politics.

He called for a much inclusive governmental situation that encourages women to enactment and thrive.

“Let america retrieve that the conflict for women’s practice is not simply astir sex equilibrium — it is astir gathering a much inclusive and equitable society. We indispensable harness the untapped imaginable of fractional of our population, who person the insight, compassion, and imaginativeness to pb with empathy,” helium said.

“Thank you for your dedication, passion, and unflinching content successful the powerfulness of women to alteration our world. Together, fto america deepen the conversation, accelerate representation, and make a bequest of equality and empowerment for generations to come.”

Earlier, successful her opening remarks, the Founding Director of Emerge Women Development Initiative and Convener of the SheThePeople Dialogue, Dr. Mary Ikoku, said the dialog aims to foster high-level conversations astir women’s governmental information and empowerment successful Nigeria.

She commended Deputy Speaker Kalu for sponsoring the Reserved Seats Bill, describing it arsenic not conscionable a sex equality contented but a important measurement towards achieving nationalist improvement goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

“Let america beryllium clear: the clip for talking is over,” Ikoku declared. “This dialog indispensable construe into enactment — done advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and governmental pressure. We indispensable backmost the Deputy Speaker and each reform-minded lawmakers. Real alteration lone happens erstwhile we request it — and prolong that demand.”