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Aminu Umar Ph.D Stakeholders Roundtable with Policymakers on

A Review of National Assembly Efforts at Addressing Political Violence against Women. Aminu Umar Ph.D Stakeholders Roundtable with Policymakers on “ Addressing Political Violence Against Women ” Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja Wednesdays 29 th November, 2017. National Assembly.

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Aminu Umar Ph.D Stakeholders Roundtable with Policymakers on

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  1. A Review of National Assembly Efforts at Addressing Political Violence against Women Aminu Umar Ph.D Stakeholders Roundtable with Policymakers on “Addressing Political Violence Against Women” Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja Wednesdays 29th November, 2017.

  2. National Assembly • Section 47, 48 and 49 prescribe that there shall be National Assembly for the federation consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives • It consist of ‘3’ major organs and ‘3’ subsidiary organs. Namely; • Senate 109 members: ‘3’ from each of the 36 states and 1 from FCT • House of Representatives: 360 members based on population • Management

  3. NASS SUBSIDIARY ORGANS • National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) – Personnel Matters • National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS) - Technical Arm of NASS • National Assembly Budget & Research Office (NABRO) – Budget Services • Public Complaints Commission

  4. POLITICAL VIOLENCE Political violence is a broad term used to describe violence perpetrated by either persons or governments to achieve political goals. Political violence is hostile or aggressive acts motivated by a desire to affect change in the government. Crime and warfare share some attributes with political violence, but is highly contentious among political scientists

  5. Forms of Political Violence • Revolution – Total regime change • Coup d’état – Elites overthrow of government • Kidnapping • Riot • Rape • Bombing • Genocide/Ethnic Cleansing • Terrorism i.e. the use of violence to achieve a political goal • State-sponsored terrorism e.g. genocide, war crimes, torture, etc. • Guerrilla war i.e. non-state actors targeting the state • Thuggery, etc.

  6. Why Political Violence? Scholars who seek to explain political violence use three categories of factors (Oneil, 2011): • Institutional- explanations for political violence focus on how state, economic, or social systems contribute to political violence. • Ideational - explanations focus on the effect of political, religious, cultural ideas in causing political violence. • Individual -explanations focus on what motivates individual people to engage in political violence—either because of rational or psychological factors, etc.

  7. Stylized Facts on Violence Against Women • The 2013 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (DHS) – ‘28 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence at least once. • Seven per cent of women have experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. • Only 31% of women who have ever experienced physical or sexual violence have sought help to stop violence. More than 70% of women who sought help did so from their own family - DHS. • There is also the reality that the different forms of violence against women and girls are often ignored and disregarded in the country – regardless of class, geographical location, age and so on.

  8. NASS EFFORTS on Political Violence Against Women in Nigeria

  9. Motions • June 2015 Updated Till - 15/06/2017 • MOTIONS INTRODUCED ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE - 1075 • Motion Passed as Resolution - 126 • Motions Negatived - 5 • Motions Withdrawn - 17 • Motions Referred to Standing and Ad-Hoc Committees - 926 • Motions Differed - 1 • Total = 1075

  10. Motions: A Glance

  11. Cont.

  12. Cont.

  13. Cont.

  14. BILLS • Dispute Resolution Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Bill 2011. 06/10/2011 Hon. Leo Ogor • HB. 70 Nigerians with Disabilities Bill, 2011. Hon AbikeDabiri-Erewa 24/5/2012 • HB. 118 Witness Protection Programme Bill. Hon. NkeirukaOnyejeocha • HB. 191 Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill, 2012. Hon. AbikeDabiri-Erewa • HB. 76 Kidnapping and Hostage Taking (Prohibition) Bill 2011 • HB 391 Criminal Code Act (Amendment) Bill 2013 Hon. AishatuDahiruBinani

  15. Cont. • HB: 120 Anti –Torture Bill – 2011 Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha • HB: 124 Use Torture Prohibition Bill, 2012 – Hon. A. T Sam-Tsokwa • HB: 249 Anti-violence against Women and Children, 2012. Hon. Baballe Ila • HB: 265 Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Bill, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha • HB 325 Crimes against Humanity, War crimes, Genocide and Related Offences Bill, 2012 – Executive Bill • HB: 384 Terrorism Prevention Act (Amendment) Bill - Executive – Passed by Both Houses

  16. Cont. • HB: 350 Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunity for Women) Bill, 2012 – Hon. Nkem Abonta • HB: 388 Women and Girls Advancement Bill, 2012. – Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa • HB: 461 Nigerian National Commission against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill, 2013 - Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje & Hon. Sokonte Davies • Fire Arms Act, Cap F28 LFN, 204 (Amendment) Bill, 2013 – Hon. Dakuku Peterside • Fundamental Human Rights (Limitation) and Modification) Bill, 2013 – Hon. Segun Williams • HB: 633 Widows Protection Bill, 2013 – Hon. Victor Afam Ogene • HB: 717 National Hospital for Women and Children Abuja (Esterblishemnt, etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2014 – Hon. Ali Ahmed

  17. Cont. • Constitutional Amendment to further entrench the rights of Nigeria • People’s Public Session on the review the Nigerian Constitution – 7th Assembly • Amendment of the Electoral Act No 6 2010 (Amendment) Bill 2017 to make provisions for the restriction of the qualification for elective office to relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended); use of Card Readers and other technological devices in elections; and other matters. • Ease women access to electoral process e.g. the elites

  18. Cont. • Death of Late President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, was a major test of the Nigeria’s legislative competence on political violence against women i.e. • NASS invoked the Doctrine of Necessity, failure of which would have created a vacuum and political violence mayhem or killing, sexual assault, etc. on women in the country • Election of Hon. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh (Ayedaade/Isokan/Irowole Federal Constituency) as Speaker of the House of Representatives • Establishment of the NASS Gender Unit i.e. GTU by the 6th Assembly i.e. House of Representatives (Under Rt. Hon. Demeji Bankole) • The Unit provided umbrella for women civil society groups e.g. Legislative Advocacy for Violence against Women – VAPP Act • Efforts of Senator Victor Ndoma Egba which led to the passage of the Bill in the Senate

  19. The VAPP Act • On May 25th 2015 the Former President of Nigeria, GoodluckEbele Jonathan recorded a milestone - signed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015. • The law protects women and girls from all forms of violence. Private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence, Physical Sexual, Psychological, Domestic, Political, etc. • Provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders

  20. Shortcomings of the VAPP Act • Federal Structure - Limited application to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. • Though, some states e.g. Lagos, Ekiti, Enugu, Ogun etc. have taken measures to localise the Act into state Law. • Duplicity of laws is another major downside of the Act given that most of the crimes stipulated in the VAPP are provided for in the existing criminal laws and also there are provisions for liberty of the citizen in sections 35, 40, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

  21. Concluding Remarks Violence or political violence against women is an act that can adequately be confronted in contemporary world through numerous legislative mechanism e.g. motions/resolution, Bills, Act, etc. However, women should take the lead of such struggle through promoting unity among their folk and encouraging men to join the fight. This is largely because the greatest threat to women successes are women themselves. Therefore, efforts to win legislative support and action should begin with women through unity, empathy, capacity building, empowerment, etc.

  22. References • DHS 2013 Survey. Nigeria 2013 demographic and health Survey. Key Findings Available at https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/SR213/SR213.pdf • Electoral Act 2010 as amended • Olukorede, Y. (2002). 2003: A do - or - die affairs? The Source Magazine, June 3, p.23 • Oneil, P. H. (2011) Essentials of Comparative Politics. Available at http://www.wwnorton.com/college/polisci/compol4/ch/07/chapterReview.aspx • VAPP Act 2015

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