Senator reintroduces Gender Equality Bill – TheNigerialawyer

The Senate has reintroduced the Gender Equality Bill.

The ‘Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill, 2019’ is one of the 12
read for the first time on Tuesday. It is sponsored by Biodun
Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti).

Ms Olujimi, the then Minority Leader, brought the bill in the
eight Senate.

The legislation sought to guarantee the rights of women to equal
opportunities in employment; equal rights to inheritance for both
male and female children; equal rights for women in marriage and
divorce, and equal access to education, property/land ownership and
inheritance. It also seeks to protect the rights of widows;
guarantee appropriate measures against gender discrimination in
political and public life and ensure the prohibition of violence
towards women.

The proposed law also seeks equal opportunity, development
advancement for all Nigerian citizens irrespective of gender as
well as promote girls’ access to education, freedom for women to
participate in any economic activity and their right to freedom
from violence.

The bill was first rejected in March 2016 when some male
lawmakers argued that the Nigerian Constitution was clear on the
rights of citizens, including women.

“It (the bill) has been re-engineered to suit everyone,” Mrs
Olujimi said on Thursday, assuring her colleagues when the bill
came up for consideration.

Mrs Olujimi said she reworked the bill and has thus represented
it to the Senate.

She had said the bill sought to eliminate all forms of
discrimination against women and would guarantee equal opportunity,
development advancement for all Nigerian citizens irrespective of
gender.

This time, no senator spoke against the bill. It was referred to
the committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters headed
by David Umaru (APC-Niger).

With the reintroduction of the bill, the lawmakers will debate
the provisions of the bill on another legislative day.