Lawmaker backs legislative bill on femicide

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R-L: Representatives of Founder of DOHS Cares Foundation with Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe MHR, Chairperson, House Committee on Humanitarian Services, and GTU Coordinator, during a meeting on the Femicide Prevention Bill at the National Assembly.

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Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, Chairperson of the House Committee on Humanitarian Services, has pledged legislative support for a bill seeking to prevent femicide in the country.

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According to a statement by DOHS Cares Foundation on Friday, Akande-Sadipe gave the assurance during a strategic meeting with the organisation and the Gender Technical Unit (GTU) at the National Assembly.

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It said the lawmaker commended GTU and the Foundation for their data-driven advocacy in addressing gender-related killings and promoting stronger legal protection for women and girls.

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It added that the chairperson agreed to review the draft bill with her legal team and rework it to meet legislative standards before its submission to the National Assembly for consideration.

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The Founder of DOHS, Mrs Ololade Ajayi, said the meeting focused on advancing legislation to address femicide and gender-related killings of women and girls, following findings from the organisation’s 2025 femicide report.

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“This is a critical step toward ensuring that gender-related killings are recognised, prevented, and prosecuted in Nigeria.

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“We are grateful for the chairperson’s commitment to give this bill the legislative attention it deserves.

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“This development signals her intention to sponsor and champion the proposed femicide prevention bill aimed at tackling gender-related killings across the country,” she said.

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Ololade reiterated that the organisation and GTU said they would continue working with Akande-Sadipe, the Federal Ministries of Justice and Women Affairs, and civil society partners to finalise the draft Femicide Prevention Bill.

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