By MUFTAU OGUNYEMI

The Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE), UN Women, Ondo State Chapter, has called on the National Assembly to pass the reserved seats bill for women to avoid political exclusion in the country.

Mrs Olabisi Omolona, GEWE, UN Women State Coordinator, made the call at a news conference on Friday in Akure to commemorate 16 Days Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign 2025.

Omolona, who said passing of the bill became necessary, explained that women worked tirelessly, mobilised communities, contribute to the economy, and safeguard democracy through voting and civil participation.

According to her, more than half of Nigeria’s population is represented by less than five per cent of its lawmakers, which is neither democracy nor justice.

She said that if the national assembly yields to the outcry, it would be a historic opportunity to correct a foundational imbalance which had hindered the nation’s progress for decades.

“Women are good enough to vote, mobilise votes, and support political structures, but somehow not deemed good enough to sit in legislative chambers where laws which shape their lives are being drafted.

“That is the structural violence we must break

“With this bill, more women in the country and state, whether from Ondo Southern, Northern or Central Senatorial District, communities will finally have a fair shot at political representation.

“More women shape budgets that directly affect maternal health, influencing policies on education, economic empowerment, sexual and gender-based violence, community development and protecting the rights of the most vulnerable.

“Research around the world confirms that parliaments with strong female representation pass laws that promote peace, education, child well-being, health, and economic growth.

“Let history remember this generation of lawmakers as the generation that rescued Nigeria’s democracy from imbalance and inequality,” Omolona said.

She, therefore, called on civil society partners, traditional rulers, youth leaders and the media to break the stereotypes, challenge the limiting narratives and shape public opinion towards equality.

“For every woman and girl, this movement is for you. You are not invisible, voiceless, or powerless. You belong in leadership, decision-making, and governance of the nation.

“So, as we observe the 16 Days of Activism, let it stand as a declaration that violence against women — physical, emotional, economic, structural, digital and political, must end, and it must end now,” she said.

Also, the South-West Secretary of the group, Mr. Sola Oladeji, said the essence of the campaign was to take a stand and speak up for women and girls across the region.

Oladeji said there was the need to extend advocacy efforts to every nook and cranny of Ondo State, adding that the fight must also target emerging forms of abuse, such as digital violence.

He, therefore, urged the media to rise to the occasion by tracing the sources of unethical and harmful online content and ensuring responsible reporting. (NAN)