Senate President Bukola Saraki has recently advised Nigerian women to re-introduce the Gender Equality Bill, which was rejected by the National Assembly on Tuesday.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Ms Fatima Kakuri, Special Assistant on Gender and Equality to the Senate President, made available in Abuja.
The bill seeking gender equality was sponsored by the Deputy Minority Whip of the Senate, Biodun Olujimi and was rejected by the Senate over alleged constitutional violations.
Saraki therefore said that although the bill had suffered setback, it could still be amended and re-introduced.
“Unfortunately, the bill suffered a slight set back because there were some parts of the bill that some senators disagreed with along the lines of religion and tradition. The beauty of democracy is that it gives us the opportunity to consider different opinions and this bill can still be represented and reconsidered on the floor of the Senate” he said.
The statement also read, “Such bills like the Equal Access to Education, Strengthening of the laws on Violence against Women, Ending Abduction of Girls, Sustenance and Promotion of Entrepreneurship Opportunities, Gender Mainstreaming and Gender equality are equally important”.
This is the third time the Gender Equality Bill would be rejected by the National Assembly, and the recent rejection has attracted a lot of reactions from different women groups.
