Gender Equality Bill: Senate President Saraki Receives Amended Bill

Nigeria senate president Bukola Saraki received the amended Gender Equality Opportunity (GEO) Bill today, June 17th, 2016.

According to The Tide, the GEO Bill sponsored by Senator Patricia Olubunmi and others earlier this year suffered a major set back on the floor of the Senate but bounced back restructured, yesterday as the first reading was taken and was passed to the Senate President today by Senator Abiodun Olujimi.

According to a statement released by Saraki’s Special Assistant on Gender Advocacy, Fatima Kakuri, the senate president said the red chamber will also ensure the eradication of all discrimination against women through the GEO Bill now being considered by the lawmakers.

The statement reads in part: “The Gender Equality Opportunity (GEO) Bill which initially suffered some setbacks at its second reading has been reworked to reflect the broader views that were hitherto not accommodated.

“In line with the 8th Senate’s commitment to enhance the cause of women by eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, we hope the bill will enjoy expedited action in the form of accelerated hearing and hopefully passed into law. We expect support for this bill to cut across all party lines in the reflection of the consensus that has been built into it even as it goes through the second reading.

However, some of the senators even alleged that the bill if passed will turn some women into prostitutes and lesbians.

The bill which among other things was designed to address women’s freedom of movement, female economic activity, girls’ access to education, equal rights for women in marriage, divorce, property/land ownership and inheritance, appropriate measures against gender discrimination in political and public life and prohibitions of violence to women, was rejected by majority of the male senators as they felt the bill if passed will give women more power and this, according to them, is against African culture.