UN Women rallies support for Special Seats Bill to boost women in politics

UN Women, in collaboration with the Women Political Participation Partners Working Group, is urging Nigerians to rally behind the Special Seats Bill—an ambitious legislative proposal aimed at increasing women’s representation in the National Assembly and state legislatures.

The call was made during a high-level conference in Abuja themed “Conference on the Special Seats Bill: Opportunities and Challenges – Options for National and Grassroots Advocacy.”

UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, emphasized that while skepticism around gender equality persists, progress remains possible through coordinated advocacy and active citizen engagement.

“The face of poverty, exclusion, injustice, and underrepresentation is the face of women and girls globally,” Eyong said. “The challenges facing Nigerian women are not unique but are shared across many parts of the world.”

Referencing data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Eyong noted that while countries like Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, and Namibia have achieved impressive milestones in women’s parliamentary representation, Nigeria lags behind with only 3% of Senate seats and 3.9% in the House of Representatives held by women.

“This underscores the urgent need to support the 10th Assembly’s move to establish reserved seats for women,” she stated. “Though the proposed numbers may not immediately match Rwanda or South Africa, they represent a crucial step toward long-term affirmative action.”

To build momentum, UN Women has launched a broad media campaign across 15 radio stations and two television channels. Additionally, 120 townhall meetings will be held in 24 states, where over 500,000 Nigerians are expected to endorse the bill.

Eyong expressed gratitude to the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom for their financial and technical support, reiterating that UN Women remains committed to working in partnership with the Nigerian government based on mutual respect and shared values.

Chairperson of the UN Women Participation Technical Working Group, Mrs. Ebere Ifendu, added that the bill is not just about increasing numbers but about ensuring inclusive governance.

“Women currently hold less than 5% of seats in Nigeria’s National Assembly, compared to a global average of 26.5%,” she said. “The underrepresentation of women is a longstanding issue that demands urgent, intentional action.”

The Special Seats Bill proposes reserving 74 seats in the National Assembly and 108 in State Houses of Assembly—182 in total—for women. These temporary measures, Ifendu explained, are designed to accelerate female political representation without disrupting the current electoral structure.

“These seats are tailored to Nigeria’s first-past-the-post system and won’t displace existing male-held positions,” she clarified.

The Abuja convening brought together civil society groups, development partners, and women’s rights advocates to strategize on national and grassroots advocacy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In 2022, the 9th National Assembly rejected similar gender bills, sparking protests led by feminist advocacy groups. However, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, assured participants that the 10th House is committed to revisiting all five rejected gender-related bills, including those not granted presidential assent.

Editing by Daniel Adejo