Muhammad Garba
Women Groups under the umbrella of the Jigawa Women Consultative Forum have threatened to boycott the National Law Makers Election in the forthcoming 2023 general election if two national chambers refused to rescind their action on the 35% Gender Affirmative Bill which they recently strikeout.
The coalition made the assertion during a press conference they organized in collaboration with Engagement Citizens Participation (ECP-PERL) as part of the world women’s day celebration held in Dutse.
Delivering a speech on behalf of the group, the elder member of the Women Consultative Forum who is also retired Permanent Secretary with state civil service, Hajiya Furera Abdullahi Baffa said, they were very shocked and cut by surprised when both national chambers refused to pass the bill.
She said the bill was not designed to undermine the Democratic process rather it is aimed at strengthening and deepening Nigerian democracy by making it all-inclusive.
“The bill simply wants to create a chance and enabling environment for women to participate and give their contribution in governance and national development.
“Why national assemblies does not want us to take part in national development? why do they want us to be treated as third-class members of society?
“They want us to elect them but they don’t want us to be elected into the positions, if they refused to Chang their position on the bill, we will defiantly mobilize women from across the country to show them the wrath of their inept action came 2023 general election,” she declared.
The forum then commended the Jigawa state Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar for introducing different programs and schemes for women empowerment in the state which have already started yielding fruitful results.
They however called on the governor to increase the number of women represented in his government as there is only one woman in the state executive council and only three permanent secretaries out of about 30 in the state.
