Hundreds of women marched through Abuja on Monday to demand the passage of a bill that would reserve seats for women in Nigeria’s parliament.
The proposed legislation, known as the Special Seats Bill, seeks to create one women-only seat in the Senate and House of Representatives for each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. If passed, the measure would require a constitutional amendment.
Nigeria currently has one of the lowest levels of female representation in Africa, with only four women in the 109-seat Senate and 16 women in the 360-member House of Representatives, according to the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).
Many African countries, including Rwanda and Senegal, have successfully used quota systems to boost women’s participation in politics.
“We want the legislature to work for women,” said activist Dorothy Njemanze, one of the organisers, who estimated more than 1,000 women joined the protest.
The demonstrators arrived in a colourful caravan of buses, vans, and music trucks, converging on Abuja to deliver thousands of signatures supporting the bill to a House committee on constitutional reform.
Advocates argue that reserved seats are needed to overcome financial barriers, entrenched gender roles, and male-dominated political structures that exclude women from leadership.
President Bola Tinubu’s minister of women’s affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has voiced support for the proposal.
However, PLAC cautioned that constitutional amendments in Nigeria are difficult to pass, requiring approval from two-thirds of the National Assembly and 24 state legislatures. Previous attempts to secure reserved seats for women have failed.
Some protesters said they see the reform as an opportunity for future female leaders.
“I want that seat, because tomorrow, I may be the one contesting for it,” said Onu Ihunania, a 50-year-old civil servant.
Others stressed that more women in parliament could improve policies on health, education, and economic inclusion.
The issue of women’s representation has gained urgency in recent months. Earlier this year, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate after she raised concerns about sexual harassment—an incident that activists say highlights the challenges women face in politics.
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