PICTURES: Nigerian Women Storm National Assembly Protesting

Women under the aegis of Gender and Constitution Reform Network on saturday stormed the venue of the presentation of the collated results of the People’s Public Session on the Review of the 1999 Constitution over exclusion of women and girls’ issues.

The women arrived in Room 028 of the House of Representatives as early as 8.00 am with their uniform vests boldly written with various inscriptions, including, “Women demand a gender responsive Constitution", "Gender in the CFRN Review.” As soon as the programme commenced with the Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, in attendance, the women rose up, lifting their placards, and in a unanimous voice called for the inclusion of women and girls issues in the constitutional amendment. It took the intervention of the Speaker, who appealed to the protesters, to calm frayed nerves.

It would be recalled that the 1999 Constitution Review generated a lot of controversy, and the submission of the results was initially scheduled for March but was postponed following allegations of pressure being mounted on the House of Representatives by State Governors to expunge Local Government autonomy from the document. It is alleged that the document was thereafter doctored by the Leadership of the House.

More pictures below....