The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has advised women not to lose hope on their demands for legislations on gender related matters.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Prospects of re-listing gender related legislations in the constitution amendment process, received boost from the Senate President, Ahmad Lawn, who counselled women not to lose hope on the matter but do further lobbying.
Lawan spoke in Agasa in Kogi State on Thursday against the backdrop of some gender related bills that recently failed to scale through at the National Assembly in the ongoing review being carried out on the 1999 Constitution.
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Senate President made a strong case for education of the girl child shortly before he commissioned a 600 capacity JAMB CBT Centre which was facilitated by Senator Yakubu Oseni who is representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
“I know somebody will say gender bills have failed in the National Assembly. That is democracy. Let’s continue to lobby.
“We should continue to lobby because nobody will like to undermine anybody. Let’s not lose hope.
“Every member in the National Assembly is a “He for She” because I don’t think there is anybody who is not married in the National Assembly.
“We will continue to work together with gender based organisations especially those that genuinely want to engage with members of the National Assembly because if you are not able to get something, if there is a failure, we should make it a political capital that tomorrow, we say, you were not able to do it yesterday, can you do it today. That will help us in ensuring that we get some of these hurdles out of the way.
“Most of us have our daughters as well. So we know that everybody is one way or the other connected to this struggle but we should not lose hope,” Lawan said.
Since the National Assembly dropped the bills on gender related matters which aimed at according women some concessions and rights on political and other issues, women groups, gender-based organisations have been up in arms, insisting that the legislations be revisited. Some groups have been on protest marches at government houses and National Assembly complex, seeking to have the lawmakers have a change of heart. Their argument is that the current constitution is not inclusive enough to carter for their interest.