Women’s Involvement and Participation in Nigerian Politics: Hurdle and Amelioration

Abstract

Despite clamours for improvement in women participation in public life across the world, Nigeria appears to be moving in the wrong direction. The contributions of women participation in the Nigerian politics following the country’s return to democracy in 1999 has brought into new focus, questions about the factors hindering women’s political participation in the country. Twenty-four years (1999–2023) after the transfer of power from the military regime to a civilian democratic administration, women still remain at the side-line of Nigeria’s politics, hence the need to undertake a study on hurdle and amelioration of women’s involvement and participation in politics. There are several constraints to women’s participation in Nigerian politics, which includes cultural and social norms, lack of access to education and resources, political violence, thuggery, discrimination etc.to mention a few. The under representation of women in political participation gained root due to the patriarchal practice inherent in our society, much of which were obvious from the pre-colonial era till date. The study recommended that to gain the necessary leadership qualities, women should choose to pursue positions of leadership in both the public and private sectors and should educate themselves to the highest levels. To reduce illiteracy and prepare female students for future leadership duties, parents, especially those in rural areas, should be urged to enrol their female children in school. The study also recommended that the current women empowerment policy be reviewed to reflect the actual situation and that government should also establish a network of women leaders so that women can share their leadership successes and challenges to inspire other women who aspire to be leaders.