Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu: Rejection of gender bills disrespectful to women

Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of the governor of Lagos state, says the rejection of the gender bills by the national assembly is disrespectful to women.

She said this on Tuesday at a rally to commemorate the International Women’s Day organised by Purple Women Foundation in Lagos.

The rally was to demand an immediate passage of the bills and women’s participation in government.

Sanwo-Olu described the rejection of the gender bills as an act of brazen discrimination against women, calling on the national assembly to promptly reconsider the bills and approve them.

“Our interpretation of what transpired with this pattern of voting at the national assembly on March 1, 2022, is that the progress of Nigerian women has been rejected,” she said.

“All the proposed constitutional amendments were meant to end bias against women and ensure the minimisation, if not total removal of barriers millions of women face based on their gender.

“We hereby condemn in no uncertain terms this brazen discrimination against Nigerian women. As half of the population of the country, our voices and our lives matter. There can be no development without the full and equal participation of women in all spheres, and any country that continues to deliberately undermine the advancement of women is simply stifling its own advancement.

“As another March 8th comes upon us, we charge Nigerian women to rise and demand that all the political, economic, social, and cultural biases that keep eroding our dreams and that of our daughters be brought to an end. Our beloved country Nigeria belongs to all of us, men and women, boys and girls.

“On behalf of all the wives of governors, I stand with our women that have come from all walks of life; I stand with our women that are here from different states. We are here standing for our rights and saying no to the rejection of the gender bills by the National Assembly. We are standing as one.”

Speaking further, the governor’s wife condemned the killing of Oluwabamise Ayanwole who went missing after boarding a bus rapid transit (BRT) and was later found dead, describing the development as sad, shocking, and devastating.

“As mothers, we are devastated; we are in shock; we are not happy. Lagos State is not known for ritual killings and we will not tolerate such,” she said.

“Investigations are going on and I am sure there will be justice. Mr. Governor is not sleeping. There will certainly be justice.”