By Aishat Braimah & Mohammed B. Abdulsalam
Although, women in Nigeria are not totally excluded from political
discourse, the political participation of women is still an urgent
concern, and widespread calls for increasing participation have
occurred. Not only does the under representation of women in the
political sphere undermine the democratic nature of governance
that Nigeria seeks out to assume, but over half the world’s
population consists of women and their role in societal
development is irrefutable. Since the constitution of the fourth
republic in 1999, efforts have made by women’s groups, advocates
and civil society organizations (CSOs) to increase the political
participation of women. Feminism and narratives on women
empowerment has gained traction over the years, however,
statistics still reveal low and disproportionate levels of women
in governance. As of 1 December 2018, women constitute 5.6% of the
House of Representatives and 6.5% of the Senate. There has been
neither a female State governor nor president.
The under-representation of women in the political field
occurs for a number of reasons:
Socio—cultural constraints and violence: Due to social constructs,
religious and cultural beliefs, women in Nigeria have always been
a marginalized group. These traditions continue to emphasize
women’s primary roles as mothers and housewives, and in turn
restrict them to those roles. A patriarchal value system favors
‘traditional cultural values’, against the advancement and
participation of women in any political process. Culturally, there
is also the belief that women are supposed to be led, and should
not lead. This collective image of women in secondary, apolitical
roles continues to dominate, and informs a destructive social
conditioning that does nothing to see to the progression of women,
and society in the broader sense. Thus in such a patriarchal
political context, women are often subjected to a significant
amount of discrimination, intimidation and gender-based violence,
which is known to deter women from participating in any political
activity.
Economic factors: The woman’s experience of discrimination has
always been a disadvantage for women in an economic capacity. It
is pervasive knowledge that men are generally paid more than women
in similar roles, and enjoy ownership of more assets and access to
money, than women. Shvedova (2002) argues that the social and
economic status of women in society has a direct influence on
their participation in political institutions and elected bodies.
In other words, the lack of economic resources is one of the
biggest obstacles that prevent women from participating in
politics in greater numbers. Given the rising cost of running an
effective campaign, this poses another serious hurdle for women in
Nigeria.
Political party formation and management: The lack of a gender
balance in political parties has been a source of much dispute, as
underscored by All Progressives Congress (APC) women members, who
continuously express their discontent with the lack of gender
parity in the ruling party. Political parties in Nigeria
originally evolved from informal meetings, whereby participants
were exclusively male. This inevitably excluded women from the
formation stage of political parties, and also denied them the
chance to contribute and benefit from collective ownership of the
parties. Consequently, women are not readily perceived as equal
stakeholders in their political parties and are often sidelined.
So in this case, women are disadvantaged from the party stage,
before they even get the chance to compete at the local or
national levels, as in-party tickets are not readily given to
female candidates. However, there is an undeniable pattern of
parties being more willing to view women from wealthy or
influential backgrounds, as politically equal. The likes of Gbemi
Saraki (former Senate President Bukola Saraki’s sister and the
daughter of former Senator Olusola Saraki), Omosede Igbinedion
(from the prominent Igbinedion family) and Oluremi Tinubu (wife of
former Governor of Lagos State Bola Tinubu), all come from
influential and prominent families. It can be argued that, the
cushioning of their backgrounds, often adds a layer of credibility
as a woman in politics, and this speaks to another issue of the
classed levels of discrimination that women in politics are
subjected to.
The fact that political parties also lack affirmative action
quotas, is an additional challenge for women. In a 1997
conference, South Africa’s ruling party the African National
Congress (ANC) amended its constitution to include a provision,
which effectively sets a one-third quota for women in the every
pillar of the party. Over the years, this quota has aided in
improving the gender balance in the ANC. However, it is important
to note that quotas must be accompanied by the necessary
implementation, so as to not be reduced to performative action.
The Nigerian National Gender Policy provides for the number of
women in elective and appointive positions to be increased to 35%.
But given the current levels of women in such positions, it is
clear that policy measures do not readily translate into a
substantive reality. So the success of affirmative action quotas
is heavily annexed in consistent and meaningful efforts, to ensure
that the quotas are met.
Non-domestication of international treaties dealing with the
interests of women: The Convention on the Elimination of all forms
of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is a landmark
international legal instrument that is centered on aiming to
achieve gender equality and improving the women’s rights situation
universally. Although Nigeria had ratified CEDAW in 1985, it has
not domesticated it. As a party to CEDAW, Nigeria is under an
obligation to implement the provisions of the convention and
report back to the CEDAW committee of experts every four years.
The Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC)
has been working closely with the Senate and House of
Representatives Committees on Women, the Federal Ministry of
Justice and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs on the
domestication of CEDAW.
As we move into post-election Nigeria and commemorate
International Women’s Day 2019 #IWD2019, it’s important to explore
the latter’s theme, being Balance for Better. In the context of
women’s political participation in Nigeria, this would mean
examining the existing political gender balance, with a view of
establishing and implementing effective measures to aid in
balancing the gender dynamic, break down the barriers preventing
an increase in women’s political participation and open up
political access to more women. Gone are the days of relying on
restrictive socialized sentiments to oppose a woman’s leadership
and political capacity, thereby obstructing her right to
participate politically. Women must be equally represented in the
political sphere and we must advocate for a more inclusive and
balanced political system to achieve that.