SheThePeople Dialogue: Emerge Women Pushes for Passage Of Reserved Seats Bill
Emerge Women Development Initiative is set to ignite fresh momentum for women’s political inclusion as it hosts a high-level dialogue under its SheThePeople quarterly series.
The “Deepening the Conversation, Accelerating Women’s Representation in Governance” event held on Thursday, 18 September 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the ECWD Centre (former NBA Building), Garki II, Abuja.
At the heart of the discussion is the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349 & SB 440), alongside other gender-responsive reforms before the National Assembly.
The platform aims to amplify advocacy for women’s representation and create concrete strategies for policy influence and public engagement.
Founded by gender advocate Mary Ikoku, SheThePeople has become a rallying point for advancing women’s voices in governance. Speaking ahead of the dialogue, Ikoku stressed:
“Reserved seats are not a favour, they are a structural correction for decades of exclusion. We must build the momentum to make this reform a reality.”
The session will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, and interactive conversations with stakeholders ranging from lawmakers and government officials to civil society leaders, development partners, media professionals, and grassroots women leaders.
Among the dignitaries are the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the Director-General of the Women Development Centre, Dr Vilita Asabe, Dr Otive Igbuzor, the Deputy National Woman Leader of the APC, and members of the diplomatic corps.
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Founding Director of WARDC, also threw her weight behind the initiative, remarking:
“We’ve talked long enough, now is the time for institutional action. These bills represent a turning point for women’s rights in Nigeria.”
The event is being in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Centre for Women Development (ECWD), reinforcing the push for lasting, gender-responsive legislation in Nigeria’s political system.