A script, which many Nigerians are all too familiar with, played out in the Senate chamber recently when one of the few federal female lawmakers, Senator Abiodun Olujimi, attempted to get her colleagues to pass the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill. Once more, however, the bill that seeks to guarantee women’s rights to equal opportunities as men was opposed by the male-dominated Senate.
The proposed law directs public institutions to ensure that a minimum of 35% of all offices, positions or appointments are reserved for women. It also mandates public or private institutions to take appropriate measures to grant equal pay to persons of the same level of skill, competence and knowledge, regardless of gender. The bill also states that a widow must not be subjected to inhuman treatment and that she is also entitled to the custody of her children after the death of her husband, unless it is
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