As the world commemorated the International Day of Parliamentarism, Nigerian legal expert and gender advocate, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, FCIArb, delivered a powerful message highlighting the urgent need for gender-balanced representation in legislative institutions.
In her message, she emphasized that democracy is not measured merely by the presence of laws but by the diversity of voices empowered to shape them. This year’s theme, “Achieving gender equality, action by action,” she noted, challenges us to look beyond rhetoric and examine what true representation looks like across all facets of society—not just in government.
Drawing attention to the glaring gender disparity in Nigeria’s legislative system, she stated:
“In Nigeria, only 4 women sit in the 108-member Senate and only 16 women in the 360-member House of Representatives.”
She added that similar imbalances persist in legislative bodies around the world.
“These numbers speak,” she asserted, “but so does the silence that often surrounds them. And they should make us question how we can continue to project progress and yet preserve imbalance.”
Badejo-Okusanya stressed that exclusion is not always loud—it is often structural, embedded in cultural, traditional, and procedural norms. She advocated for bold, consistent, and sometimes uncomfortable action to dismantle such systemic barriers.
In her concluding statement, she declared:
“True equality does not begin when a woman is invited to the table. It begins when we no longer question whether she belongs there at all.”
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya is a Partner at ALP NG & Co, and a recognised voice for equity and legal reform in Nigeria. She continues to use her platform to inspire deeper conversations and meaningful policy shifts towards inclusive governance.
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