The senate on Tuesday reintroduced the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill, 2019.
Sponsored by Mrs. Biodun Olujimi (PDP Ekiti), the bill was one of the 12 read for the first time at the plenary.
The legislation which the senator brought first introduced in the eighth senate seeks to guarantee the rights of women to equal opportunities in employment, equal rights to inheritance for both male and female children, equal rights for women in marriage and divorce, and equal access to education, property/land ownership and inheritance.
It also seeks to protect the rights of widows; guarantee appropriate measures against gender discrimination in political and public life and ensure the prohibition of violence towards women.
The proposed law also seeks equal opportunity, development advancement for all Nigerian citizens irrespective of gender, as well as promote girls’ access to education, freedom for women to participate in any economic activity and their right to freedom from violence.
The bill was first rejected in March 2016 when some male lawmakers argued that the Nigerian Constitution was clear on the rights of citizens, including women.
“It (the bill) has been re-engineered to suit everyone,” she said.
Olujimi said she reworked the bill before re-presenting it to the senate.
When she first introduced the bill, she explained that it sought to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and would guarantee equal opportunity, development and advancement for all Nigerian citizens irrespective of gender.
This time, no senator spoke against the bill which was referred to the committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters.
With the reintroduction of the bill, the lawmakers will debate its provisions on another legislative day.
