The bill was kicked against yesterday but the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has now said it will be reintroduced to the Senate after being redrafted. The bill sponsored by the Sen. Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South), seeks to empower women politically and economically, as well as grant them equal opportunities with men in diverse human endeavours.
It was however rejected after Senators argued that most of its provisions were in conflict with the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, the same reason given for its failure in the 7th Senate. In a posted on his Facebook page, Saraki said:
“As I said during the International Womens Day last week, I am of the opinion that there are substantial parts of the bill that are crucial to the development of our nation such as the equal access to education, strengthening of the laws on violence against women, ending abduction of girls, sustenance and promotion of entrepreneurship opportunities, gender mainstreaming and gender equality, female participation in governance, among others.
Unfortunately, the bill suffered a slight set back because there were some parts of the Bill that some Senators disagreed with along the lines of religion and tradition. The beauty of democracy is that it gives us the opportunity to consider different opinions and this bill can still be represented and reconsidered on the floor of the Senate.”
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