Women Rally at National Assembly to Demand Passage of Reserved Seats Bill

Scores of women staged a peaceful rally at the main entrance of the National Assembly on Monday, urging lawmakers to fast-track the passage of the Women Reserved Seats Bill ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The proposed legislation, among 44 prioritised constitutional amendment bills awaiting final voting, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to create special constituencies for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. The measure is designed as a temporary intervention to address the persistently low female representation in Nigeria’s legislative chambers.

At the rally, Ene Obi, former Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, commended lawmakers for progress so far but urged timely passage. “A vote for a woman is a vote for life. We are calling on the National Assembly to address us and act,” she said, stressing that swift approval would allow political parties and prospective female candidates adequate preparation time for the 2027 elections.

Rahila Dauda, representing the International Federation of Women Lawyers, described the current level of female representation in Nigeria’s legislature as unacceptable. “It is a shame that women make up over half the population but account for only a tiny fraction of lawmakers,” she said.

Advocates also called for inclusion of women and girls with disabilities, requesting that five percent of reserved seats reflect provisions of the Disability Act.

Nigeria has one of the lowest female parliamentary representation rates in Africa. Despite repeated commitments to gender inclusion, women continue to occupy a marginal number of seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Proponents of reserved seats cite models in Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa as examples of how structural interventions can improve gender representation, while opponents question potential conflicts with equal competition principles.

For the women at the National Assembly gate on Monday, the demand was clear: timely passage of the bill to ensure implementation in 2027.