Tony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has called for the inclusion of more women in decision-making processes to enhance national development.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Ojukwu in commemoration of the 2022 International Women’sWomen’s Day (IWD).

“The issue of increasing representation across the board should be considered to allay the fears of men who fear they may be displaced by women in the various constituencies,” he stated. “New constituencies to meet up affirmative action can be created,” he said.

This, Mr Ojukwu said, could be achieved by reducing the cost of governance.

“Nigeria can bear the marginal cost in governance and balance this out by reducing the number of personal or special assistants, technical assistants, and advisers, etc., allowed for political office holders,” he explained.

Mr Ojukwu added that the commission had received an increase in the number of complaints of human rights violations against women and children.

He stressed that those complaints were in different forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), female genital cutting and denial of inheritance.

The NHRC boss further called on the National Assembly to consider and pass the Gender Equality Bill.

“It will reduce gender-based violations as well as give the women a legal backing to address the challenges of inequalities confronting them, including other forms of heinous human rights violations suffered only by women,” he said.

(NAN)