Scores of women converged on the main entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja, mounting a peaceful but determined rally to demand swift passage of the Women Reserved Seats Bill ahead of the 2027 general election.

The proposed legislation is one of 44 priority constitutional amendment bills awaiting final voting by federal lawmakers and subsequent concurrence by state Houses of Assembly. If approved, it would alter the 1999 Constitution to create special constituencies in the National Assembly and state legislatures to be contested exclusively by women.

Advocates describe the measure as a temporary corrective tool to tackle Nigeria’s chronically low level of female representation in parliament, which remains among the lowest in Africa despite decades of democracy and repeated pledges on gender inclusion.

Addressing the crowd, Ene Obi, former convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, praised legislators for moving the bill this far but warned that delay at the final stage could undermine preparations for 2027.

“A vote for a woman is a vote for life. Women are the hope of life. We are not protesting today, we are holding a rally. We believe in non-violence. We have organised ourselves,” she said, stressing that the women were waiting “patiently” for lawmakers to come out and engage with them.

Obi argued that early passage would give political parties and aspiring female candidates time to organise, build structures and campaign effectively within the new constituencies.

Rahila Dauda of the International Federation of Women Lawyers described the current situation as “a shame,” noting that women, who make up more than half of Nigeria’s population, occupy only a handful of seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

“We are in total support of the special seats and we urge the National Assembly to make history by passing this bill. Nigerian women want this bill now,” she said.

Another campaigner urged lawmakers to align the bill with the Disability Act by reserving a portion of the special seats for women and girls with disabilities, insisting that inclusion must extend to all segments of the female population.

The rally also revived memories of earlier failed attempts to secure gender-focused constitutional amendments, including the 2022 rejection of several gender bills that triggered nationwide demonstrations under the banner “Women Occupy National Assembly.”

Supporters of the reserved seats model point to countries such as Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa, where quota systems have dramatically increased women’s presence in parliament. They argue that without similar structural reforms, entrenched political, financial and cultural barriers will continue to shut women out of Nigeria’s elective offices.