Senate President Bukola Saraki says the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill will be “Reintroduced”

The 8th Senate’s rejection of the Gender and Equality bill elicited a lot of outrage from Nigerians who viewed the lawmakers’ rejection as insensitive to the plight of the Nigerian woman.

Click here if you missed it.

But that was not for too long, as Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in response to a tweet by Japheth Omojuwa this evening had said that the bill will make a return, that it only suffered a set back.

See the tweets below.

The Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill Will Make A Return!!!!!! https://t.co/LZx4HQM9mc

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) March 15, 2016

@Omojuwa Like I said during #IWD2016 on #GenderParity there are substantial parts of the bill that are crucial to development of our nation.

— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) March 15, 2016

All hope is not lost. Glory to God!

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) March 15, 2016

@_yemia @ToyinSaraki I have shared my opinion on the Bill. Beauty of Democracy is that it gives opportunity to consider different opinions

— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) March 15, 2016

We now have a Senate President we can rant at. Reason we MUST not support anyone without a social media presence for such offices.

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) March 15, 2016

Senator Bukola Saraki also posted on his Facebook page:

Today, we discussed the Domestication of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention Eliminating all forms of discrimination against women under A Bill For An Act To Incorporate and Enforce Certain Provisions of The United Nations Convention On The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, and Other Matters Connected Therewith.

As I said during the International Womens Day last week, I am of the opinion that there are substantial parts of the bill that are crucial to the development of our nation such as the Equal Access to Education, strengthening of the laws on Violence against Women, Ending Abduction of girls, Sustenance and Promotion of Entrepreneurship opportunities, Gender Mainstreaming and Gender equality, female participation in governance, among others.

Unfortunately, the bill suffered a slight set back because there were some parts of the Bill that some Senators disagreed with along the lines of religion and tradition. The beauty of democracy is that it gives us the opportunity to consider different opinions and this bill can still be represented and reconsidered on the floor of the Senate

I have it on good authority that Senator Biodun Olujimi who introduced this bill will reintroduce it after re-drafting it to address some of the reservations that were expressed on the floor of the Senate.

Released by SA on Gender
Ms Fatima Kakuri