Women across all sectors of the country continue to contend with underrepresentation in leadership roles and decision-making processes. However, with the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB-1349) many expect a change in status quo, just as students bare their minds on the issue. WONDERFUL ADEGOKE (UDUS) reports.
- Students join the conversation
The truth behind the long-overdue restructuring of our democratic terrain formed the thrust for the passage of the reserved seats bill for women.
Prior to this, women across all sectors of Nigeria have been underrepresented in leadership roles and decision-making processes.
It can be argued that social beliefs could have fueled the prejudice in time past. The truth about gender stereotypes, however bitter it is commonly said to be, doesn’t make it any less true if efforts are being made to bring down the legacy of systemic erasure.
The data released from the Centre for Democracy and Development best captures this perception in its report about gender enterprise in terms of governance. It found that, between 1999 and 2003, only 2.8% of Senate seats and 3.3% of House seats were occupied by women.
Fast forward to today, it also revealed a slight increase to 3.7% (four out of 109 Senators) at the National Assembly and 4.4% (16 out of 360 members) in the House of Representatives. The figures are not just statistics; they, instead, highlight a sobering decline from a shared national agenda: inclusion.
An educated guess might indicate that if women are trusted to build families (the most vital unit of our society), being sidelined from our nation’s transition of leadership is a negative litmus test of Nigeria’s democratic conscience.
For that reason, the legislature has been making efforts to build a level playing field. Made public in 2021, the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB-1349) seeks to amend the 1999 constitution to empower women in politics.
Quite truthfully, the bill aimed to offer a 35 percent quota of political appointments to women. The proposal, sponsored by Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, and supported by a few legislative officers, include: 74 additional seats in the National Assembly and 108 seats across state assemblies.
Though commendable, the bill raises a thousand questions: should the law be enacted, what faith does it restore in the country’s ability to guarantee an equitable society?
A student at the Faculty of Law, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), Maryam Umar, disclosed a personal interest in the bill, as it opposes the status quo of gender imbalance.
Maryam said: “The bill was proposed to declutter the existing domination of political positions by men. It reflects the long standing patriarchal nature of the country, as women are left out not because they are incapable but because leadership is perceived to be for men and the only way to guarantee their presence is creating a chance for them not to have to compete with men.”
Her statement highlights a corrective measure against the widespread concern for male-dominated party caucuses. Maryam wondered if party’s internal policies won’t dampen the fate of female candidates.
Of its consequences, she told CAMPUS LIFE: “This would make outstanding women dismiss their aspirations before they even try.”
Although news has it that the bill is a form of compromise, Maryam represents a group of students who seemed opposed to such speculations. For them, work only gets done when there’s a total overhaul of the system.
“While the bill is a good development, unless these barriers limiting women’s participation are dismantled, progress will remain at surface level.”
Just like Maryam, referencing Nigerian women known for their political contributions from pre-colonial to post-colonial era, Gladys Olivers, a law student at the University of Nigeria, believes the bill isn’t an offer for free rides, but one of the fastest way of checking the imbalance that keeps women out of politics.
“It is totally pointless,” said Gladys, “arguing whether or not women have anything to contribute to society. Women play a great role in the making or marring of any system. The Nigerian political system is not an exception.”
Hardly would anyone disagree with her opinion of women contributing their unique insights for better governance, with support from legislative leadership and advocates.
Though this comes with her being uncomfortable with the luxury the bill presents. A concerned Gladys stated a looming crisis: “Patriarchy is no news in the Nigerian system. Colonisation of these seats is a close possibility.”
Perhaps, an alternative could have been explored.
“If truly they wanted an equal representation then, I think an amendment to include the balanced percentage of men and women to run in each house should be made instead of creating additional seats for women. Whichever way it goes, I hope the disease of patriarchy doesn’t attack this bill and render it useless,” she added.
Gladys further stated what lies behind the bigger picture: compliance.
She said: “Many legal frameworks remain ‘legal-blind’ or lack effective implementation mechanisms for gender equality policies or quotas.”
Notwithstanding, alongside sources who spoke with CAMPUS LIFE, the originator of the bill received plaudits for the bold approval and sought effective implementation.
However, Muhammad Habibat, a student at Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto(UDUS) views the strength of the bill through a different lens. When asked about the kind of political representation that’s required given the current situation of the country, she shared reasons the bill does not offer much salvation.
Habibat said: “Nigerian women do not merely need numerical representation; we need substantive and influential representation. Women do not need to be accommodated; they need to be empowered.”
Her reasons are not far to seek. “Representation should go beyond occupying seats to having real decision-making power, control over policy direction, and the ability to influence outcomes,” she added.
She speaks of women who want to venture farther beyond being symbolic additions. Habibat agrees that women should be present at negotiation tables “as actors whose voices carry weight because any policy aimed at increasing women’s participation must challenge existing power structures, not quietly adapt to them.”
This, she noted, should be the basis for women being trusted with leadership positions where their competence, ideas, and lived experiences shape governance.
Speaking along that line, Adepoju, an Entrepreneurship student at Lead City University, Ibadan, questioned its cost of governance.
Dismissing claims of costing no more than one percent of the national budget, she said it’s yet another chance to influence an already dwindling economy.
