Group Asks House Member to Apologise over Disparaging Remarks Against Women

Ugo Aliogo

The Alliance for Africa (AFA) has called on a House of Representatives member, Hon. Mohammed Gudaji, to apologise to women for making disparaging statements against them on the floor on the House.

According to a statement issued to THISDAY wednesday by the group, it was noted that Gudaji publicly said women should not be given too much opportunity to participate in political leadership.

It also stated that the lawmaker erroneously said women who already have opportunities such as domestic duties should remain under the control of men, stressing that they would mess up if given the opportunity to participate in political leadership.

The group in the statement condemned in strong terms the position taken by the lawmaker, stating that he contradicted the country’s obligation under international human rights instruments adopted by Nigeria including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which the country ratified 1985.
It explained that the lawmaker’s statement also violated the Beijing Platform of Action adopted by the country, adding that it was an affront to the country’s obligation under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on People’s Rights, The Protocol to the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and the affirmative action of 35 per cent representation of women in political and non-elective positions by the 2006 National Gender Policy.

The statement added: “It is highly condemnable that a respected political figure in Nigeria would openly oppose the instituted measures by the Nigerian government to increase women’s participation in governance.

“AfA hereby condemns the stereotypical position of Gudaji, conveyed by his speech at the House of Representatives which will only perpetuate the low representation of Nigerian women in political leadership.

“We state that Gudaji’s speech is a total disrespect for the instituted measures already adopted by the Nigeria government to foster women’s participation in leadership and decision making.

“We thus, demand that Gudaji publicly apologise to Nigerian women for saying that they are incapable of taking up leadership and decision-making roles in Nigeria. Gudaji’s statement appears to question the wisdom of Nigeria’s government in ratifying international instruments that support women’s participation in governance.”