CWIDI calls on women to get involved in politics to promote gender equality in Nigeria


Nigerian political history and studies (for instance, Ejukonemu and Akintola, 2013; Akintola, 2016) have demonstrated that Nigeria is only good at formulating good policies but fail in implementation. Most policies in the country are either partially implemented or not implemented at all. Pitiably, most Nigerians are unaware of the existence of some of these policies. The 2006 National Gender Policy is a good example.

The 2006 National Gender Policy was built upon the National Policy on Women which made little or no impact on gender equality in Nigeria. Among other things, National Gender Policy was formulated to build a just society devoid of discrimination that harnesses the full potentials of all social groups regardless of sex or circumstance. To achieve this, and especially to guarantee gender inclusion in Nigeria, the Policy was set to “adopt special measures, quotas and mechanisms for achieving minimum critical threshold of women in political offices, party organs and public life by pursuing 35% affirmative action in favour of women. This was meant to bridge the gender gaps in political representation in both elective and appointive posts at all levels”. The 35% affirmative action, since 2006 when the Policy was formulated, remains a mirage and makes gender inclusion in elective and appointive posts elusive.

In the present Eight National Assembly, only eight (8) women are elected senators, constituting 7.3%. In the House of Representatives, out of its three hundred and sixty (360) members, only fifteen (15), which is 4.2%, are women. No woman is elected a governor but four (4), which is 11% of the thirty-six (36) states in Nigeria, are deputy governors. Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Enugu States have women as deputy governors. Out of thirty-six (36) ministers, only six (6) were women. They constituted 16.6% in President Buhari cabinet before Amina Mohammed became United Nations Deputy Secretary-General. With her exit and replacement with a man, women now constitute 13.8% of the present Federal Cabinet.

The import of the abysmal statistics is that Nigeria is nothing near the fulfilment of her affirmative action for women in the country. Both in the elective and appointive positions, women are underrepresented. This, therefore, calls for actions. The situation in the polity today demands that women asks for their rights since it appears that the patriarchal system in the country is becoming more unfavourable for gender inclusion. The best way for Nigerian women to demand for the 35% affirmative action in elective and appointive positions is to get involved in politics. The time for political apathy is over! The women occupying different political offices today are there because they are politically active. If they were apathetic, they will not be there. What guarantees gender inclusion in politics is not only condemnation of patriarchal system but active participation. The political systems that are celebrated the world over for gender inclusion in politics get there because some people, especially women, take actions. Therefore, to take their pride of place in national politics, women needs to get involved; not just as electorates but as candidates for various political offices.

Notes

You can read more on gender inclusion in public policy in Nigeria in “Ejukonemu, J. A. M. & Akintola, O. E. (2013). Nigerian women in public policy making positions: the imperative of meeting the affirmative action” published in the Journal of Research and Development, volume 5, Number 1, pages 131 to 142. Also, you can read an assessment of implementation of public policies in Nigeria in “Akintola, O. E. (2016). Impact of climate change on terrorism in north eastern Nigeria. Published in ASUU Journal of Social Sciences, a Journal of Research and Development, Volume 3, Number 1, pages 39 to 60.

Written by Concern Women International Development Initiative (CWIDI)


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