“Women are still treated as secondary issues. It is still far too easy and accepted for leaders to ignore the uncomfortable truths. Women, we know, are the first to be affected by war, and the last to be taken into account when it ends.” Angelina Jolie.
Ideally, men and women are suppose to enjoy equal rights. However, it is unfortunate that in Nigeria today, it is not the case. For example, in 2020, the population of Nigerian women was approximately 101.67 million while that of men was 104.47 million. What that means is that women constitute almost half of Nigera’s population. Unfortunately, only 51 percent of the said population is involved in Nigeria’s politics in terms of both elective and appointive positions.
In 2010, women had only 7 percent of overall representation. This is probably due to the fact that up till the 1980’s, there was no awareness about the under representation of women in politics. In patriachal societies, men are considered superior while women are regarded as mere housewives without rights to decision making and inheritance.
Thankfully, that is changing today. For instance, personages the current Director of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are changing the narrative. She was the first Nigerian woman to serve two terms as the Finance Minister of Nigeria, under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2003-2006. She is also the first woman and first African to lead the WTO as Director-General.
Aside from sitting on boards of Danone, Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, MINDS and other international organisations, she has distinguished herself as an acclaimed economist, author, environmental sustainability advocate, human welfare champion, sustainable finance maven and global development expert.
In the role of honour is another Amazon, Amina Jane Mohammed who is a Nigerian-British diplomat and politician. She is serving as the fifth Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. It would be recalled that between 2015 to 2016, she made her mark as the nation’s Minister of Environment. On top of that, Amina was a key player in the Post-2015 Development Agenda process.
These women who have trailed the blaze seems inspired by the likes of the Abeokuta-born, Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti, the erstwhile Nigerian educator, political campaigner, suffragist and women’s rights activist who broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria.
Perhaps Funmilayo was inspired by Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary who in 1876, was assigned to Efik Land in Calabar where she showed genuine interest in the rights and well-being of women and children. Today, Nigerians credit her for stopping the obnoxious practice of the killing of twins.
These few examples are strong indicators that women can bring about the most needed change in society. The Aba Women Rebellion of 1929 demonstrates that women are not a push over. As such, in Nigeria and elsewhere around the globe, women and girls can change the status quo. For instance, they have the right to vote during elections, engage in civil society, be elected to government offices and also make their voices heard in any process that will ultimately affect them, their families and the community.
In as much as women’s participation in politics is very important, there are soo many challenges they face. From a global perspective, one of the major problems women face is patriarchy – the superiority of men over women, or a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. If men and women are created equal, why the suppression? Sadly too, aside partriarchy, women suffer the brunt of sexism, racism, economic inequality and other related abuses.
A recent report by the Gender Strategy Advancement International, GSAI indicated that the national average of women’s political participation in Nigeria remain at 6.7 percent in elective and appointive positions. The findings further regretted that it is far below the global average of 22.5 percent, Africa regional average of 23.4 percent and West African Sub Regional Average of 15 percent.
To this end, as we approach the 2023 general elections, the participation of women in Nigeria’s political landscape is crucial. Generally, most people believe that women are supposed to be subject to men. They argue from a stereotypical point of view that women should not be in power because they tend to be ”Emotional.” Perhaps it is their maternal caring nature that is misconstrued as being ”Emotional.”
On the 7th of May 2022, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen rightly observed that the inadequate number of women in decision-making positions explained the country’s low investment and slow progress in some of the crucial sectors of human development. Tallen listed these sectors as security and peace processes, health, education, ICT development, finance, trade and investments among others.
More concretely, “currently in the House of Representatives, out of 360 members, only 18 are women, representing about 4.61 percent; Senate has eight women out of 109 members, representing 7.34 percent,” she said. According to her, women-participation is central and crucial to national growth and development and now is the time for women to take the bull by the horn to achieve their goals.
In conclusion, women must be their own advocates who would rise up from “Sidon look” to embrace active participation in politics. With massive investments in girl-child education, capacity building through skills acquisition, women would be empowered to be on top of their game. It is the considered opinion of this writer that women could be the start of the change for a better Nigeria. This can only happen if they are given their rightful place, not only in the kitchen or the other room but in elective and appointive positions.
Rita Diwah Kukah is a 100 Level Student of Nigeria’s Premier higher institution, Veritas University , Abuja from where she contributed this piece.
