Women’s Day: Protesters Storm Lagos Assembly Over Gender Based Violence
A group of women on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest to the Lagos State House of Assembly in commemoration of the Women International Day, urging government to come up with legislation against Gender Based Violence.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Dr. Abiola Akinyode stated that part of their reasons for coming to the Lagos State House of Assembly is to demand that women who are the vulnerable groups in the society be properly taken care of.
He demanded that both gender based and domestic violence should be eradicated.
The protesters brandished placards with inscriptions such as “Stop gender violence”. “We are feminists”. “Never reject, subject or neglect the woman but project and protect her prospects” among others.
In his own contribution, Comrade Rotimi said that the reason why the protest is necessary is because they want a 50-50 planet whereby the women folks will be inclusive in politics and other aspects of life.
Rotimi added that it is wrong for women to represent a very minute ratio in Nigerian politics.
He stated that out of the forty members representing the twenty constituencies in the Lagos State House of Assembly only four women are among.
“Also out of the forty-two Members of the Lagos State Executive Members, we have only four women and in the whole of the House of Representatives in the Federation, only one woman is representing about one and half million women,” he said.
Addressing the protesters on behalf of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa , the Chairman Lagos State Committee on Information and Strategy and representative of Kosofe Constituency II Hon. Tunde Braimoh, appreciated the women, especially the convener, Mrs. Joe Oke Odumakin for their movement towards the better emancipation of women.
“We salute your doggedness, persistence and consistence in fighting the course of women”, he added.
The lawmaker posited that the provision of violence against women has been promulgated by the Lagos State House of Assembly since year 2007.
