Women Set For Court Over 35% Representation – TheNigerialawyer

A coalition of women groups in Nigeria, under the aegis of
Nigerian Women Movement, is set to challenge the refusal of the
successive governments to implement the 35 per cent affirmative
action in court.

According to the group, non-inclusion of women in governance has
left Nigeria “at the lowest ebb amongst nations demonstrating a
meaningful representation of women in governance”.

The Nigerian Women Trust Fund, which is championing the legal
process, said the plaintiffs would include a broad range of women
groups from the academia, trade unions, professional women, market
women, civil society organisations, community-based organisations
and men who are gender sensitive.

The exclusion of women in governance, they said, was “due to the
absence of the minimum requirement of 35 per cent affirmative
action as stipulated in Nigeria’s National Gender Policy
(2006)”.

Yusuf Ali (SAN), Femi Falana (SAN), Prof Anselm Odinkalu,
Miannaya Essien (SAN), Victoria Awomolo (SAN) and Funke Adekoya
(SAN) are among the lawyers they are said to have contacted to
pursue the case.

According to the Inter Parliamentary Union (2018), Nigeria
occupies the 180th position amongst 193 nations of the world in
terms levels of representation of women at the national
parliament.

A copy of the minutes of the meeting signed by the Chief
Executive of NWTF, Hajiya Mufuliat Fijabi, was obtained by SUNDAY
PUNCH, Not TheNigerialawyer in Abuja.

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