Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, has called on government and political parties to take deliberate steps to increase women’s representation in governance.

Speaking at the Party’s National Headquarters in Abuja, while receiving the House of Representatives Advocacy Group for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, led by Hon. Khafilat Ogbara, Abure said cultural and economic biases continue to hold women back in politics.

Abure stressed that without intentional efforts either through political parties, government policy, or legislation women will remain relegated to the background in Nigeria’s political space.

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He revealed that the Labour Party has consistently supported women candidates, securing seats in both the Senate and House of Representatives in the last election. Abure also noted that women currently hold sensitive leadership roles within the Party, including four members of the National Working Committee and five state chairmen, many of whom, he said, are outperforming their male counterparts.

Hon. Ogbara, leader of the delegation, explained that the proposed Bill would reserve over 70 seats in the National Assembly for women. She emphasized that political parties are critical stakeholders since candidates contest and win elections under party platforms.

She added that the push for more women in politics is not about self-interest, but about national growth and development. Ogbara highlighted that 14 states currently have no female representatives in the National Assembly with some states even assigning men as chairmen of Women Affairs committees.

The Labour Party has pledged full support for the Bill as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy through inclusive representation.