Reps vow to tackle child abuse, low women representation

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Committee on Women in Parliament on yesterday said it’s will relate with other notable African parliaments in including the Commonwealth Women in Parliament to ensure effective representation of women in political positions, as well as tackle issues of right and abuses.
Chairperson of the House Committee Hon. Taiwo Oluga (Osun, APC) disclosed this during the Committee inaugural meeting where the lawmakers adopted an action plan for their operations.
Oluga in a remark said that the Committee will liaise with the Senate leadership on issues relating to women representation in the Federal Executive Council and other agencies of government to achieving at least 35% women incision in governance at all levels in Nigeria.
She said that the Committee will work in partnership with Ministry of Women Affairs, NAPTIP and sister agencies to curb incidences of human trafficking, female child prostitution and defend the provisions of the Child Rights Act.
She further disclosed that the Committee would take the classic example of success of women in politics in Rwanda with 68% of women population as lawmakers and 50% as Cabinet members and Supreme Court Judges.
The lawmaker while calling for more active involvement of women into elective positions at the national and state houses of assemblies also decried a situation where only eleven women were elected into the national legislature saying it is not acceptable.
She also said that that the Committee would be organizing annual Women in Parliament Week where distinguished women from all over the world will be presenting papers on issues affecting women and other mentorship sessions for young girls.
Moreover, a member of the Committee Hon Zainab Gimba (Borno, APC) also challenged the Committee to ensure that Nigerian women are well trained and equipped to vie for leadership positions in regional and international Parliamentary organizations.
The Committee members later adopted a document as dubbed an Action Plan to streamline these resolves on these issues and said that it would guide the operations of the House Committee.