Glory Ohagwu, Abuja
African women leaders, policymakers, and advocates have intensified calls for structural reforms to boost women’s political participation across the continent, as the 9th Africa Women Conference opened with powerful appeals for inclusion, legislative innovation, and coordinated Pan-African action.
Delivering the keynote address themed “Legacy Meets Innovation: Women Forging New Pathways for Africa’s Sustainable Development,” Mrs. Osasu Igbinedion-Ogwauche said her advocacy was driven not by anger, but by belief that Africa could “write a different story, one where women are not just spoken about, but listened to, not just allowed to serve, but expected to lead.”
She highlighted progress across Ghana, East Africa, Southern Africa, and Rwanda, noting that functional quota systems have pushed representation as high as 61 percent.
Igbinedion-Ogwauche, a coalition champion of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill (HB 1349), which proposes 182 new constitutionally guaranteed seats for women across federal and state legislatures, added that “this is not sentiment; it is justice… a time-bound correction to decades of exclusion.”
She said implementing the bill would cost less than one percent of the National Assembly’s budget.
She also highlighted advocacy innovations designed to increase transparency in parliamentary voting.
“When people are informed, they are empowered… Making facts public is a radical act,” she said.
A panel on “Advancing Inclusive Governance through the Empowerment of Women and Youths” amplified various advocacy calls.
Mrs. Asiya Sani Sulaiman, Senior Special Adviser on Trade and Investment to the Chairman of Abaji Area Council, argued that Africa’s projected demographic power will only materialise “through building skill gaps and education.”
Fatima Talba, representing Nangere/Potiskum Federal Constituency, said her journey from a Sharia-compliant state proved that “there is no hindrance in religion to accessing political positions.”
She stressed the need for persistence and unity.
Former All Progressives Congress National Woman Leader, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, urged the presidency and First Lady to firmly back the bill.
“Wherever you find women, you’ll find justice… We are calling for equity, justice, and inclusivity,” she said.
Igbinedion-Ogwauche outlined practical advocacy strategies such as decentralised geopolitical structures, translations into local languages, and coordinated pressure from civil society, governors’ spouses, and pop-culture influencers
. She expressed optimism ahead of the December 9 vote, saying, “This reform’s time has come.”
The conference closed with a call for a Pan-African quota framework and “bold alliances, not polite ones,” as stakeholders committed to turning ideas into legislation, systems, and lasting institutions.
The event convened ministers, diplomats, development experts, and delegates from different African countries.