Overview
Despite making up nearly 50% of Nigeria’s population, women remain starkly underrepresented in political leadership and decision-making structures. The Constitutional Inclusion of Women in Governance project, led by Centre LSD with support from FCDO through PLAC, sought to address this democratic deficit through strategic advocacy during Nigeria’s ongoing 10th National Assembly constitutional review process.
This short-term but high-impact project aimed to push for the institutionalization of gender equality through constitutional reform, ensuring that women’s participation is not reliant on goodwill or quotas, but enshrined in law as a governance imperative.
Project Context
From the Aba Women’s Revolt (1929) to trailblazers like Funmilayo Ransom-Kuti, Nigerian women have long demanded recognition and inclusion. Yet, decades of constitutional reviews have consistently failed to address gender inequality. Issues such as economic disparity, political exclusion, GBV, and poor access to education and healthcare continue to marginalize women in governance.
Centre LSD’s intervention built on its legacy of advocacy for inclusive governance, leveraging the constitutional moment to ensure women’s voices are finally encoded into Nigeria’s legal DNA.
Project Goal
To contribute to the attainment of gender equality in Nigeria through increased women’s representation in elective and appointive positions via constitutional reform.
Specific Objectives
- Build alliances with legislators, executives, and civil society to support gender-inclusive policies and constitutional reforms.
- Inspire and empower champions across sectors to advocate for women’s inclusion in governance at all levels.
- Advocate for the adoption and implementation of laws and constitutional amendments that support women’s representation.
Key Activities
- Stakeholder Mapping: Identified strategic allies within the legislature and civil society to lead targeted advocacy.
- National Women’s Inclusion Summit: Convened to build a unified advocacy platform and amplify the call for constitutional gender inclusion.
- Advocacy Campaign: Rolled out a coordinated legislative and executive engagement strategy.
- Institutional Mapping: Identified active gender inclusion actors for targeted collaboration and coalition-building.
- Documentation: Produced and submitted a comprehensive final report with insights, learnings, and recommendations.
Outcomes
- Strengthened collaboration between legislators, CSOs, and gender advocates.
- Created a coordinated advocacy network focused on constitutional inclusion for women.
- Gained commitments from members of the 10th National Assembly to prioritize gender equality.
- Elevated the public discourse on gender-inclusion through media engagement and public education.
Indicators of Success
- Increase in National Assembly members publicly advocating for gender-inclusive reforms.
- Growth in the number of organizations working in coordination on constitutional inclusion for women.
- Increased media visibility on issues related to women’s political inclusion.
- Emergence of proposed constitutional provisions targeting gender equality in governance.
Conclusion
Centre LSD’s constitutional advocacy has helped shift the gender inclusion conversation from the margins to the core of Nigeria’s democratic reform. Through strategic alliances, national convenings, and evidence-based advocacy, the project laid a critical foundation for a future where gender parity is a constitutional reality, not an aspirational ideal.
As Nigeria charts a course toward more inclusive governance, Centre LSD remains committed to ensuring that women’s voices are not just heard but counted.
