BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Abuja
Emerge Women Development Initiative is set to host a high-level dialogue on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen women’s political participation in Nigeria.
The event, which falls under the #SheThePeople quarterly dialogue series, will take place on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at the ECWD Centre (former NBA Building) in Garki II, Abuja, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
With the theme “Deepening the Conversation, Accelerating Women’s Representation in Governance,” the dialogue will focus on the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349 & SB 440) and other gender-focused legislative reforms currently before the National Assembly.
Founded by gender advocate Mary Ikoku, SheThePeople is a platform that promotes meaningful conversations on women’s political participation and empowerment.
The dialogue will bring together policymakers, civil society leaders, development partners, grassroots women leaders, and the media for keynote addresses, panel discussions and interactive sessions on advocacy strategies and public engagement.
Ikoku described the Reserved Seats Bill as “a structural correction for decades of exclusion,” stressing the need to build momentum to make the reform a reality.
Also speaking ahead of the event, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Founding Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), said, “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 programme is hosted in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Centre for Women Development (ECWD), which has supported advocacy for gender-responsive legislation.
Among the expected participants are the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, 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, members of the diplomatic corps; civil society organisations and other distinguished experts.
