Coalition wants constitutional provision for women representation in politics
Coalition wants constitutional provision for women representation in politics
A Coalition Civil Society (CSOs) in Kaduna State has called for Constitutional provisions for women representation in elective and appointment positions in Nigeria.
Mr Poul Onwude, Lead Facilitator, Association for the Promotion of Parliamentary Relations, made the call on behalf of the coalition while making a presentation at Zonal Hearing of Constitutional Review in Kaduna on Wednesday.
Onwude said that the constitutional provision would guarantee equitable representation of women in appointments and elective positions or a minimum of 35 per cent women representation.
He added that there should also be constitutional provision for gender pairing for elective positions requiring running mates or deputies to improve gender equality in the political space.
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He also called for the liberalisation of the electoral atmosphere for improved women candidacy in the electoral process.
“There should also be constitutional benchmarks to ensure political parties provide platforms for vulnerable groups including persons living with disabilities to contest for elective offices,” he said.
On electoral reform, Onwude said that determination of pre-election matters should be before the actual conduct of the election, adding that internal democracy must be entrenched in the affairs of political parties.
He also called for the establishment of a National Electoral Offences Commission for the prosecution of electoral offenders, as well as constitutional provision for independent candidacy in election.
“We also want the establishment of a National Council of Traditional Rulers to strengthen the constitutional roles of traditional rulers and provide procedures for their removal, either by their subjects or the state government.
“In local government administration, we want a constitutional provision that will prevent the illegal dissolution and suspension of democratically elected local government councils by state governors,” he said.
Some of the members of the coalition included YIAGA Africa, Bridge that Gap Initiative, Follow Taxes, Campaign for Democracy, Women Mentoring Initiative, Follow the Money and Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative.
Others were Kaduna Youth and Community Development Initiative, African Media Development Foundation, Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women, with UK FCDO-funded Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn as a technical partner.
