Ekiti State First Lady, Olayemi Oyebanji, has urged Nigerians to support the Reserved Seat for Women Bill aimed at increasing female representation at the National and State assemblies.
She recently revealed that the ongoing constitutional reform is a massive opportunity to right the wrongs in our constitution, while boosting gender equality for key political positions.
Speaking via the Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Bolaji Egbeyemi-Ayegbaju, Olayemi revealed that Nigerians should rally round and fight for the success of the special bill because gender quotas can no longer be seen as a favour, when they are absolutely key to sustaining development across the country.
According to the First Lady, action is now needed to trigger gender equality in politics, because when women come together to form a collective force that speaks for a just cause, it is simply impossible for their voices to be ignored.
“We cannot afford to waste this moment, we must all come together towards this very special bill for the reservation of seats for the National Assembly members.
We must move from advocacy to action. Gender quotas are not a favour, they are rights and a necessity for sustainable development. Let our voices today form a collective force that cannot be ignored. We are here on endorsement, we are here to support the cause of women,” she said.
Hailing her husband, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, for championing the rights of women, Olayemi praised him for his thoughtful decisions that have made Ekiti the state with the highest number of women in governance across Nigeria.
“I must commend the governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for his giant steps that have made Ekiti State the state with the highest number of women in governance across the nation,” she added.
The Executive Director, Balm in Gilead Foundation, Oluwatumininu Akerele, also said that the Reserved Seat Bill is a bold legislative tool that affords women the right to be at the table where decisions about their lives are made.
Tumininu is of the opinion that a bill that eradicates the exclusion and underrepresentation of women deserves all the support it can possibly get.
Her words, “Endorsing this Bill is endorsing justice. It is saying women deserve their rightful
place at the table where decisions about their lives are made.
This Bill seeks to alter the longstanding narrative of exclusion and underrepresentation that has marred our political system. By reserving seats for women in the national and state Assemblies, we are not asking for handouts or charity – we are demanding fairness, equity, and a structure that reflects the rich diversity of Nigeria.
The stark reality is that the continued underrepresentation – and sometimes outright exclusion of women in governance presents a future Nigeria should not and cannot be proud of.”
