President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday, revealed that Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly is committed to bridging the gender equity gap.
Senator Akpabio while speaking at the International Conference on Women in Governance organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja, said gender stereotyping and biases have continued to impede women’s participation and advancement in governance.
The senator said it would be his utmost desire to see many women occupying leadership positions, adding that gender equity must be promoted at all costs to eliminate disparities that tend to hold women back.
He called on the Director-General of NILDS to ensure that policies being developed are women-friendly and geared towards women empowerment in leadership and nation-building.
The NILDS Director-General Abubakar Sulaiman, expressed dissatisfaction with the declining rate of women representation in governance in the past years in Nigeria, describing it as worrisome.
Sulaiman gave assurances of his commitment to promoting a “gender sensitive legislation” in Nigeria.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha urged the National Assembly to bridge the gender equity gap in the legislation.
