Women leaders push for Special Seats Bill, demand equitable representation
Women leaders have called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the Special Seats for Women Bill, emphasizing that it will be a historic opportunity to address decades of underrepresentation in Nigeria’s political system.
Penpushing reports that the women made the call at the Nigerian Women and National Women Leaders Forum, organised by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in collaboration with the House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs, with support from the European Union.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, in her speech at the event said the vote on the Special Seats Bill represents a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Penpushing further reports that she pointed out that although Nigeria has over 104 million women, their presence in governance remains extremely limited, adding that only 21 women serve in the National Assembly, four senators and 17 members of the House of Representatives, while only 48 of 991 state lawmakers are women.
The Minister stated that in 13 states, women’s perspectives are completely absent, stressing that these gaps are not a reflection of competence, capacity, or commitment but the result of structural and systemic barriers faced by women for decades.
Penpushing also reports that Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the Special Seats Bill would provide a constitutional, time-bound mechanism to correct the historical imbalance by creating additional seats exclusively for women, a step she described as essential for enhancing inclusivity and strengthening democracy.
The Minister asked Nigerians to reflect on whether issues directly affecting women, such as menstrual hygiene management, maternal health, and gender-sensitive policies, can be adequately addressed in spaces with minimal or no female decision-makers.
Penpushing reports that the event coincided with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which began on November 23, 2025 and will end on December 10, 2025.
The Special Seats Bill seeks to reserve additional seats exclusively for women in the National and State Assemblies, and aimed to guarantee a minimum level of female representation and ensure women’s voices are systematically included in lawmaking.
Penpushing further reports that the bill seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to create additional legislative seats specifically for women in the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.
The bill at the National Assembly level, proposes one special seat reserved exclusively for women in the Senate and House of Representatives for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), totalling 74 additional seats at the federal level.
Penpushing also reports that in same vein, the bill proposes three special seats for women in the Houses of Assembly of each state, totalling 108 additional seats, while these seats would be temporary special measures aimed at boosting women’s representation and would be contested only by women during general elections.
Meanwhile, the bill has passed Second Reading in the House of Representatives and has been referred to the House Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative action.
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