The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has pledged to pass gender equality bills.
He assured the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) during a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja. Speaker Abbas emphasized the 10th House’s commitment to addressing gender issues in the ongoing 1999 Constitution review. The Speaker highlighted the importance of empowering women and ensuring gender equality within the legislative process.
Abbas assured that the House was more “sympathetic to women” and determined to break the gender bill jinx. He stated that the failure of previous gender-related proposals would no longer persist under the current House leadership. Speaker Abbas revealed that two new committees had been created to support women’s affairs and parliamentary representation. These committees are the Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development and the Committee on Women in Parliament.
The Speaker further encouraged the NCWS to engage as many stakeholders as possible to advocate for women’s empowerment. During the visit, the Acting President of the NCWS, Mrs. Geraldine Ita Etuk, presented a muffler to Abbas. Etuk thanked the Speaker for his dedication to pro-women campaigns, especially in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
In response, Abbas praised the NCWS for their continued support and urged them to foster more capacity-building programs for women. He reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the passage of gender-sensitive laws and policies in the House of Representatives.
