The President of the Anambra State Town Unions Council (ASTUC), Sir Vin Dike, has pledged the support of the council for the proposed legislation seeking to create special seats for women in Nigeria’s legislative chambers.
Sir Dike gave the assurance after receiving a delegation from the Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC), led by its Executive Director, Ugochi Ehiahuruike, who presented the case for increased female representation in governance.
The advocacy forms part of SIDEC’s Project IMPACT—Inclusive Mobilization for Participation, Advocacy, and Civic Transformation, being implemented in Anambra and Imo states in partnership with the Civil Society Situation Room and supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Deliberations, concerns, and clarifications
Members of the ASTUC executive engaged the SIDEC delegation in discussions, raising questions and seeking clarifications on how the proposed bill would operate.
Following the deliberations, Sir Dike expressed the council’s readiness to support the initiative, describing it as a step in the right direction.
“Due to our time constraints, we shall not continue this debate and brainstorming session.
“However, be assured that you can always count on ASTUC. The project is a noble one and we support it,” he said.
The ASTUC President acknowledged existing measures by political parties, such as waivers and reduced nomination fees for women, but stressed that more deliberate actions are needed.
“We really need to do more to increase women participation in politics,” he added, noting that women possess the capacity to deliver quality representation at all levels of governance.
SIDEC makes case for inclusion
Earlier, SIDEC Executive Director, Ugochi Ehiahuruike, said the organisation is mobilising support for a constitutional amendment bill aimed at addressing the low representation of women in Nigeria’s legislative bodies.
She revealed that women remain significantly underrepresented, with only: 4 out of 109 Senators, 16 out of 360 members of the House of Representatives and 55 women across State Houses of Assembly nationwide.
According to Ehiahuruike, the proposed legislation seeks to introduce 108 additional reserved seats for women, distributed as follows:
“37 seats in the Senate. 37 seats in the House of Representatives and 3 seats in each State House of Assembly.”
She explained that the reserved seats would complement existing positions, not replace them, and that all candidates would still emerge through elections.
Ehiahuruike, however, noted ongoing legislative discussions. “Senators are considering two additional seats per geopolitical zone.
“But, members of the House of Representatives are largely supportive of the number of proposed seats for women
Why it matters
Ehiahuruike emphasized that increasing women’s participation would enhance inclusivity, strengthen decision-making and ensure broader representation of societal interests.
She cited countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania as examples where similar policies have significantly improved women’s representation in governance.
The SIDEC boss called for widespread backing for the bill, noting that its passage would require a two-third majority in both chambers of the National Assembly and approval by at least 24 State Houses of Assembly.
“We appeal to ASTUC to help ensure that our representatives at the national and state assemblies vote in favour of this bill,” she concluded.
