Another woman, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, entered as the sole female aspirant in her party before stepping down for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The journeys of these two women, though with different outcomes, reflect an existing reality: for women in Nigerian politics, getting on the ballot is the beginning of a much steeper climb.

Beyond Ojei and Ohanenye, a group of women determined to change the narrative declared their interest in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential race. Among them were Khadijah Okunnu-Lamidi of the Social Democratic Party, who said she was motivated by her desire to rekindle hope and make Nigeria work for all Nigerians, as well as Carol Nwosu of the African Action Congress (AAC), Ibinabo Joy Dokubo, of the All Progressives Congress, Patience Key, also of the People’s Redemption Party, Olivia Diana Teriela, of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP,  and Angela Johnson, of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

A report published by Plan International states that females make up 49.47% of the total population as of December 2021, and also account for 47.50% of registered voters for the 2023 General Election in the country. Despite these revealing data, the presence and participation of women in political offices still remain very low.

According to the 2023 voter data released by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, 44,414,846 of 93,469,008 registered voters were women in 2023. Even at this realization, it still did not translate into greater political representation.

At the federal level, the numbers are drastically low. Women currently occupy just 4 of 109 Senate seats, and 15 of 360 House of Representatives seats. The imbalance is higher at the state level. Data released by Trust Radio states that out of 990 seats across Nigeria’s 36 states, women currently occupy only 54 seats, representing approximately 5.5% of the total.

Another data published by Trust Radio states that 13 state assemblies have no female lawmakers at all, including Abia, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Osun, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara. This highlights how few women are elected to positions of power and authority.

Women can face numerous barriers to their effective participation and the fulfillment of their electoral rights. Although this is not an exhaustive list, some of the obstacles that women in different capacities may encounter during the electoral process can be found below;

• Traditional gender roles, gender-based stereotypes, and discriminatory attitudes.
• The perception of politics as dirty or inappropriate for women.
• The burden of domestic work and family responsibilities
• Male-dominated model of politics that tends to undermine the value of women’s contributions and their participation.
• Lack of party support or backing for female aspirants.
• Limited access to campaign funds and financial resources necessary to run a competitive campaign
• Lack of formal or political education and limited access to information.
• Lack of media coverage and gender-based stereotypes and bias in the media
• Violence and threats from within and outside the party
• Lack of political experience
• Lack of formal or political education and limited access to information.
• Gender-based violence

A keen look at these structural, cultural, and systemic barriers reflects that the odds are stacked against Nigerian women politically; while there are many women who have expressed readiness to reshape governance in any political seat to be seen as role models for younger generations, real political power continue to elude women.

While there may have been some improvements women inclusion in politics and governance over the years since the inception of democracy in 1999, the ratio of men to women in politics and governance continue to remain abysmally low.

It must be stated that the participation of women in politics is not only an asset, but is also necessary in addressing the many complex issues in today’s world, particularly political issues, as women are known to be efficient, empathetic, fiercely determined, and accountable.

Breaking down barriers women face in the political process is challenging, but perhaps an even more difficult task is changing traditional mindsets and long-held cultural beliefs that continue to impede women’s rights.

Overcoming these cultural and social limitations will demand a plethora of actions that may include, but cannot be limited to the following:

• Increased advocacy to end gender-based violence and discrimination against women
• Functional empowerment for women and girls so that they can function as active members of our society
• Review and re-organization of electoral laws to end violent practices that discourage women from seeking electoral offices.
• Strong advocacy against cultural and religious beliefs that consider women to be second-grade citizens who cannot be allowed to hold leadership positions.
• Implementation of strict gender quota systems to catalyze the inclusion of women in politics and governance.
• Mental empowerment for women to break them free of all mental barriers that have held them down for decades.

Effective governance requires greater inclusion, especially for women, as gender heterogeneity in governance allows for multidimensional perceptions and approaches to leadership and public service.

The post Many Barriers, Few Seats: The Struggle of Women in Nigerian Politics appeared first on Afinju FM.