BILL: WOVAIDE Director Backs Reserved Seats Bill, Calls for Stronger Women’s Representation in Politics

By Jako,September 25,2025.

The Executive Director of the Women of Valour Initiative for Development and Empowerment (WOVAIDE), Mrs. Sarah David Ibi, has thrown her weight behind the proposed Reserved Seats for Women Bill, describing it as a historic step toward gender equity and balanced governance in Nigeria.

Mrs. Ibi, a former Chairperson of the TEKAN-ECWA Women Wing in Taraba State, said the legislation, if passed, would break systemic barriers that have long excluded women from political participation. She stressed that the proposal is not about tokenism but about creating space for women to contribute meaningfully to nation-building.

> “The Reserved Seats Bill will give Nigerian women a stronger voice in politics. We cannot continue to sit back and watch; women must be part of decision-making processes that shape the future of this country,” she said, recalling her participation in a recent national campaign in Abuja advocating for the Bill.

Citing examples from Rwanda and Senegal, where quota systems have boosted female representation in parliaments, Ibi noted that Nigeria lags far behind. Currently, only four out of 109 senators and 16 out of 360 House of Representatives members are women.

At the National Public Hearing on the 1999 Constitutional Amendment Bill held in Abuja on September 22, 2025, Mrs. Ibi underscored the transformative impact the legislation would have. If passed as proposed, it would:

Amend Section 48 to provide for 37 additional women senators (one per state and the FCT).

Amend Section 49 to create 74 additional seats for women in the House of Representatives (two per state and the FCT).

Amend Section 91 to add 108 seats for women in State Houses of Assembly nationwide (three per state).

She described the development as “cheery news,” noting that the bill already enjoys robust advocacy, bipartisan support, and strong backing from civil society organizations, women’s rights groups, international partners, and grassroots mobilization across the country.

Mrs. Ibi called on Taraba women and men of goodwill to join hands in pushing for the bill’s passage, emphasizing that it represents fairness, inclusivity, and a bold step toward closing gender inequality and addressing gender-based violence.

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