NAN-H-58
Women
Chinyere Bassey
Lagos, June 1, 2017 (NAN) Some female labour leaders on Thursday called on the Senate to pass the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill to give women more opportunity to contribute to national development.
The women told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that passage of the bill would enable appointment of more women into leadership positions.
NAN reports that only seven out of the 109 senators in the 8th National Assembly are women.
Princess Julie Arowoduye, Lagos State Chairperson, Nigeria Labour Congress, said that it was improper for only few women to be in political and other leadership positions.
”It is time for lawmakers to have a second look at the equality bill, which has been before them for long.
“It is important for women to contribute immensely to national development.
“Women have been marginalised in all sectors because the 35 per cent affirmative action on women is not being implemented.
”The non-implementation is impacting negatively on women; our government and leaders need to correct it,” Arowoduye said.
She said that women felt the impact of Nigeria’s economic challenge more but did not have adequate opportunity to contribute to the desired change.
The labour leader urged the senate to urgently pass the bill.
“This is because the talents and morale of many women were being affected.’’
Mrs Ifeyinwa Omowole, President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), told NAN that it was good that women were calling for more opportunity to contribute to national development.
According to Omowole, if the gender equality bill is passed, its enforcement will bring hope for more women aiming to get into leadership positions.
Mrs Christiana James, also a labour leader, said that passage of the bill would give women more opportunity to contribute to national growth.
James said that Nigerian women were feeling the impact of economic recession more but did not have enough opportunity to proffer solutions.
She called on the lawmakers to review the bill and give it accelerated hearing in the interest of national development. (NAN)
CHIN/IGO
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(Edited by Ijeoma Popoola)