Gender bills rejected on religious, cultural grounds –Reps
The House of Representatives has blamed the failure of gender- related bills to pass during the ongoing amendment to the constitution on late lobbying by the sponsors, civil society organisations and women groups.
According to the House, religious and cultural factors also influenced votes against the bills by the lawmakers.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu, made this known while addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
Lawmakers in the two chambers had on Tuesday voted on 68 recommendations by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Special Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
The House’s spokesman, however, stated that the lobbying and sensitisation should have begun earlier.
He said, “But I must say this lobbying was done a bit late. Yes, I want to say that. The lobbying – the advocacy for this – was supposed to have started longer than now. I say that without mincing words. You don’t lobby two days to vote on a very important issue like this.
