The contentious five Gender Bills rejected by the National Assembly (NASS) last year were x-rayed on the 23rd of November 2023 at the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Centre, Abuja. The event was the launch of social media action and signature campaign on the 5 Gender Bills. The campaign was led by Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC), ably supported by GENDER Mobile, SAGE, Womanifesto (A Women's Charter of Demand) and NCAA. The sponsors of the event were USAID and Palladium. I was a valued participant at the meeting.
One million signatories were sought for the campaign. The Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs Secretariat, FCTA, Hon. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi promised to join the campaign via the Secretariat for the mobilisation of women in the FCT. What manner of engagements were to be deployed forthwith?
*Working with the National Coalition on Affirmative Action (NCAA) and SAGE
*Cluster coaching
*Strategic engagements with women from the 36 states of the federation
*Roundtable with media chiefs (build the capacity of journalists)
*Cultivate viable social media influencers
*Liaise with relevant private sector organisations (WIMBIZ, WISCAR, etc)
*Legislative visits to the National Assembly while especially cultivating the Chairperson, Women in Parliament
*Social media engagements via Twitter (X), Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Blogs, etc
*PEA/Roundtable conversations with female legislators
*Create public awareness via Radio jingles, TV programmes, community outreach, etc
L-R: Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa & Dr. Biola Akiyode
Chief of Party, Palladium, Lydia Odeh was quite impressed about WARDC's Gender Bills' Response Cluster. The world is increasingly inter-connected. We need to mobilise a collective voice for change. There should be safe spaces (special seats) for women at the NASS. We should sustain the momentum of the campaign as regards the Five Gender Bills. The campaign continues on the corridors, at strategic meetings, in open spaces, etc. until the 5 Gender Bills are passed by the NASS.
Dr. Dayo Oluyemi-Kusa, same day, after the parley on the 5 Gender Bills
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