In Katsina, law makers bring fresh hope to women

BY ANDY ASEMOTA, Katsina

While the High Level Women Advocates (HILWA) in Katsina State is still basking in the euphoria of the compulsory access to basic education  bill  assented to recently by the State Governor, Aminu Bello Msari, another bill close to their hearts is about being passed into law by the State House of Assembly.

The Bill for a Law to Provide a Minimum of 35% Women Participation in Education Management in Katsina has since about 2014 been gathering dust in the hallowed chambers of the Katsina Assembly.

According to the Chairperson of Katsina HILWA, Hon. Marya Abdullahi, it would take the passage of the bill and assent to it by the governor to convince the people, particularly women, of the state that the present government is more serious about raising women participation in the education industry even though there has been improvement in the number of women occupying decision – making positions in the sector.

The Speaker of the Katsina Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tasiu Musa Maigari, had assured HILWA , UNICEF and other key stakeholders in the sector that the draft bill would soon be sponsored afresh and considered expeditiously, adding that the proposed legislation will be passed by the House before the end of the present tenure.

Daily Champion gathered that the bill which was conceived by HILWA and jointly fine tuned by members of group and several members of the previous assemblies had remained largely unattended to since its submission many years ago.

However, within a fortnight, the residents of the state got cherry news from the Assembly that the bill had scaled its second reading and referred to committee stage for further legislative action.

Many stakeholders are hopeful that the House would soon pass the bill according to the pledge of Mr. Speaker as the proposed legislation has reached an advanced stage.

While they commended the House for the expeditious attention given to the bill, some political observers told Daily Champion that the legislation was quite vital in changing the narratives of the education sector and the development of the state in general.

Apart from allocating a minimum of 35% top level appointments in education to women, the bill will enable women to partake in policies and decision making in education and ensure their implementation.

Besides, the bill aims to motivate women to acquire education and become role models as their counterparts in holding key positions in education.

The proposed legislation stipulates that it’s unlawful and criminal to make appointments in the industry without giving the designated per cent of such appointments to qualified women in the state.

The bill also states that the chief executive officers of agencies and departments in the sector shall be held responsible for any act or omission in contravention of the eventual law.

It reads in part: “There shall be a monitoring committee for the implementation of a minimum of 35% appointments of women in education sector.”

The bill mandates the committee to investigate and make recommendations to the appropriate authorities with reference to non – compliance with the provisions of the law.

It states that where the monitoring committee upon the receipt of a complaint or petition and after due investigation gives a direction under this proposed law and the chief executive of the affected agency fails to take up any step to reverse any act or omission contrary to the provisions of the law, within a period of three months, the committee may proceed to initiate proceedings against the chief executive in the appropriate court.

If there is anything Katsina HILWA supported by UNICEF and Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom had been striving to accomplish since 2014 besides the access to basic education law, it’s to have a law that gives credence to 35% participation of women in the education industry.

Several retreats and workshops were held between the women and the law makers to achieve the desired goals. Recently, top officials of the Katsina Assembly alongside officials of the ministries of justice and education brain stormed with HILWA for a new road map. It was a two day event between 12th and 14th August, 2022, in Kano and the meeting afforded the Katsina HILWA  and UNICEF the opportunity to have first hand knowledge of how the bill could be re – introduced.

Indeed, it was obvious at the forum that a new day had broken following the firm commitment of the law makers to pass the bill before May 2022.

One obvious challenge of the education sector in Katsina is the need to have more women to close up the gaps which have been created over the years in this crucial sector.

According to Dr. Binta Ado Tafashiya, a varsity don, only participation of much more women can salvage the education sector from its prevailing challenges.

Prominent among Katsina elites at the workshop include Justice Safiya Badamasi Umar (SAN);  Deputy Speaker of Katsina Assembly, Hon. Shehu Dalhatu Tafoki; Dr. Binta Ado Tafashiya; Dr. Binta Dalhatu Dan-Ali, and Hajiya Wasilatu Sani Saulawa.