Borno Women Group Call for Reserved Political Seats to Boost Female Participation

Women advocacy groups in Borno State, during a consultative meeting in Maiduguri ahead of the North-East zonal public hearing on the 1999 Constitution review, have urged for the reservation of political seats for women at both state and federal levels.

Aisha Abubakar, Chairperson of the Women Political Participation Working Group, revealed that a bill has been prepared to create exclusive political seats for women, providing a fairer platform given the social, economic, and political challenges women face when competing against men.

With Borno’s 27 local government areas and 28 members in the State House of Assembly, the proposal includes adding extra seats specifically for women. Similarly, the bill seeks to establish an additional senatorial seat for female candidates at the federal level.

Umar Dan’Assabe of Kimpact Development Initiative described the bill as crucial for inclusive governance, noting the stark underrepresentation of women — only four female senators out of 109 nationwide despite women making up nearly half of the voting population.

The bill suggests one reserved Senate seat, one reserved House of Representatives seat, and three reserved seats in the Borno State House of Assembly for women.

Falmata Lawan, Director of Women Affairs and Gender in Borno, expressed support for the initiative, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to gender inclusivity in governance.