Benjamin Kalu pushes gender inclusion bill to raise women’s representation in politics

Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, has called on Nigerians and fellow lawmakers to support the Reserved Seats Bill — a proposed legislation aimed at increasing women’s representation in political leadership.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Australian High Commission in Abuja to mark the 2025 National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) celebrations, Kalu said the bill offers a practical step toward addressing Nigeria’s longstanding gender imbalance in governance.

Currently, women occupy less than 4 percent of elective positions across the country.

Kalu said the bill, if passed, would raise that figure to at least 10 percent by reserving one legislative seat per state for women in the Senate, House of Representatives, and Houses of Assembly.

“We have the Reserved Seats Bill in our nation at the moment. That bill is for the government to have more inclusiveness — to celebrate the power of women beyond sports and family management, but also in the governance space,” he said.

“If we believe and trust women to do what they do, we can also trust them to handle the affairs of governance beyond what it is at the moment.”

The bill, sponsored by the deputy speaker himself, proposes creating a special seat in each state exclusively for women — a measure Kalu insists will not reduce the current number of male legislators or threaten their positions.

“We are not asking women to contest against men to reduce their positions. The bill proposes separate seats — and that’s not too much to ask,” he said.

Kalu urged NGOs, development partners, and advocacy groups to intensify support for the proposal ahead of a vote in parliament.

“We need you as our allies. This is a step to give women a chance. Together, we can show that women are here to add value, not to threaten our positions. We can do it,” he said.

Beyond gender inclusion, Kalu also called for greater national unity across ethnic and religious lines, drawing lessons from Australia’s model of cultural tolerance.

“In Australia, all religions, all languages, all cultures are tolerated. That is something we must take back to our states, our religions, and our communities,” he said.

“Though we are different, we are the same. Our diversity is not a disadvantage — it is our strength.”