Women under the aegis of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Imo State chapter, led by its Chairman, Dr. Mrs. Dorothy Nnaji, alongside other female advocates, have called for the reservation of parliamentary seats for women as part of efforts to promote inclusive governance and strengthen female representation in politics.
The women made the call during an advocacy gathering in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where they stressed the need to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in elective and appointive positions across the country.
Speaking at the peaceful rally, Dr. Nnaji, who was represented by the Vice Chairman, Comrade Opara Chizoba, explained that despite women’s immense contributions to national development, their participation in decision-making processes remains significantly low, especially in legislative politics.
Expressing concern, she lamented the absence of female representation in some State Houses of Assembly, including the Imo State House of Assembly, stressing that such a gap hinders effective advocacy for women’s needs and participation in governance.
She noted that women have consistently demonstrated strong leadership capacity across various sectors and therefore urged the government to approve the passage of the reserved 74 seats bill for women.
The soft-spoken Vice Chairman called for the immediate passage of the bill to ensure gender balance and equal representation in the political system.
Speaking further, Comrade Opara noted that women play major roles in nation-building and therefore should be fully included in governance and politics.
She further urged lawmakers, political parties and relevant stakeholders to support constitutional and electoral reforms that would create opportunities for more women to emerge as leaders.
The peaceful protest was also attended by members of the Nigeria League of Women Voters (NILOWV), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture, Retired Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association, Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Women in Politics Forum (WIPF), alongside other civil society organisations.
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