The women’s wing of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday criticised the rejection of gender equality bill by the Senate, urging all women to mobilise for their cause.
The women, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos described the decision as “a blow and setback to constitutional rights of women’’.
NAN reports that the Senate during its plenary session on Tuesday, refused to pass a bill seeking equal marital rights for women.
The bill, entitled: “Gender Parity and Prohibition of Violence against Women’’ seeks equal rights for women in marriage, education, job and others.
Mrs Lucy Offiong, the NLC Women Leader criticised the action and said that women in the organised labour would re-strategise to forge ahead on their rights.
“Throwing out the bill is a big setback for women. We are strategising. All women should come together to fight for this cause,’’ Offiong said.
Offiong said that those who rejected the bill had no feelings for the injustices meted out to women and girls in the country.
“I do not know whose agenda the anti bill lawmakers are representing. It is time women will form a female political party if the lawmakers fail to listen to us,’’ she said.
Princess Julie Arowoduye, Lagos NLC Chairperson said that lawmakers did not pass the bill because they were biased and afraid that women would do even better than them.
According to Arowoduye, the era when women are kept in the background on development of the country was over as they must be in the fore front on national issue.
“The lawmakers did not pass the bill because of ego problem and it is time to allow the women express their talents. Women should rise up to fight for their rights,’’ she said.
The NLC chairperson said that the senators would have made history in Nigeria and Africa if they had passed the bill.
Also Mrs Nkechi Odinukwu, legal practitioner and labour advocacy said that the rejection had set the country backward by 10 decades.
Odinukwu said that the rejection meant that women do not add value to political and economic development.
“The rejection means it is okay to kidnap our girls, rape them, use them as sex slaves, marry them as minor and deny them their right to joyful childhood and education,’’ she said.
The legal practitioner said that rejection of the bill at first reading meant that women could be subjected to abuse, inhuman and degrading treatment.
She said that it would be difficult for the country to progress without recognising the contributions of women to development in the country.
Odinukwu said that the women would not accept that the bill was in conflict with some laws because the ones it sought to counter were acts that were considered as repugnant to social justice, equity and good conscience. (NAN)
Leadership….
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