The Role of Women in Nigerian Politics: A Case Study of Ovia-North Local Government Area
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the role of women in Nigeria politics especially via-North local government of Edo state
- Explore ways of ensuring full participation of women in Nigeria government especially the Ovia-North local government of Edo state
- Examine the relationship between women and the Nigeria government
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
ENDER MATTERS POLITICALLY
Gender is usually understood as sets of generally created understandings of masculinities and femininities. These connotations emanate from categorizations about male and female behavior; from the features of conduct usually linked with men and women; from normative suppositions about suitable behaviors of women and men; and from conventions about biological modification and from social structures of supremacy and alteration (Waylen, 2012). Even though, sometimes receive little attention by both experts and academicians equally, gender in politics needs to be addressed as both a practice and politics as theme of study as noted by Beckwith (2010). Central to this endeavor, according to Waylen (2012) is that the politics of recognition cannot be overlooked as practice and the discipline of politics different from each other. The problem confronting both politics as a practice and politics as an educational discipline with respect to gender subjects are interwoven. When considering politics as a discipline and a practice, it is evident that there are massive alterations or modifications to both. True to the issue at hand is that more women have now been noticed as prominent politicians, leaders of state and of acclaimed bodies in Africa, Europe and Latin America, ranging from Angela Merkel in Germany, Dilma Roussef, the president of Brazil and Christine Largarde at the International Monetary Fund, and also not forgetting female heads of states in Africa: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Joyce Banda and Catherine Samba-Panza, presidents of Liberia Malawi and the Central African Republic. It will virtually be difficult to refute that there have been noteworthy efforts and accomplishments, both in terms of accumulating women’s political participation and enlightening the prospects for women academicians in its entirety. Waylen (2012) believes that not just mere increasing of numbers of women has been important, but more reflective modifications are necessary for both politics as practice and politics as a discipline to make them more gender impartial. To be able to make this a reality, it is vital to grasp what it is about politics as an educational field and politics as a practice and the means in which the two work together that account for men being dominant in politics than women. In the United Kingdom there are fewer women ministers in the cabinet, representing 22.5 percent pegging them on the 59 th position in the world league table of women’s representation, whilst Ghana is sandwiched at the 109th position with a percentage of 10.9 percent and the United Republic of Tanzania are ranked 23rd among women in parliament in the world (IPU, 2013). Women’s roles and the postulations made about their roles in the private arena still have an influence on the roles in government sectors. This continues to impact concepts of what is taken into account as politics and the political, which is still primarily high politics in the government sectors; who is perceived as a qualified individual to be involved in politics; and what are rightful concerns that is often shallowly explained and does not take into account definite events and actors and represent particular assumptions of masculinity and femininity, as observed by Waylen (2012). The artificial partitioning of the civic and private, benefitting high politics, and the acceptance of certain models of a person that has made politics as a discipline, somehow diverse of sociology and anthropology and the other social sciences, which find it freer to connect the private arena and, as a result, have created an easy way to take gender aboard and take account of women in their field.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought role women in Nigeria politics
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information role of women in Nigeria politics. 200 staff of Ovia-North local government area of Edo state was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain role of women in Nigeria politics.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of role of women in Nigeria politics
Summary
This study was on the role of women in Nigeria politics. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the role of women in Nigeria politics, explore ways of ensuring full participation of women in Nigeria government, and examine the relationship between women and Nigeria government. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of Ovia-north local government area of Edo state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up heads of department, counselors, senior staff and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The transition from military to democracy in 1999 has tremendously improved the stake of women in politics in Nigeria than any other time in its post-independence existence. It is no doubt that women still remain highly marginalize in all spheres of the socio-economic and political life of the nation. This is more obvious when the proportion of men to women in politics and decision making position is compared. Several challenges such as lack or inadequate finance, cultural and religious discrimination, political violence, illiteracy and inadequate education, marginalization in political party hierarchy among others has been identified as responsible for this state of affair. In spite of these challenges, women have made considerable in-road into the political landscape of the country since 1999. The tremendous energies of women activism and advocacy groups, the track records of achievement of women in politics and decision making, the increasing number of educated and professional women, the positive disposition of successive government towards women political empowerment and the growing interests of women to participate in politics have place women as important players in the Nigerian political topography with bright future prospects. To consolidate on the current gains, women leadership organizations, government and relevant stake holders should continue to advocate for the revision of legislations to favour the protection of women from abuse, empower them economically and politically especially through the strengthening of affirmative action and allocation quotas for women in politics and decision making position
Recommendation
- Make commitments to address challenges holding women and girls down
- Implement the Gender Policy immediately and ensure that women constitute at least 35 percent of women appointment and increase it gradually to 50 percent by 2030.
- Amend the constitution to provide for affirmative action for women
- Abrogate all laws that are discriminatory to women and are repugnant to natural justice
- Implement a gender agenda
Political Parties
- Ensure that women occupy leadership positions in the political party structure
- Support women candidates during elections and appointments
- Give waivers to women in payment of nomination fees
Media
- Stop gender stereotyping of women as objects of pleasure
- Support women in the media
Educational Institutions
- Eliminate gender stereotypes from educational curriculum and instruction materials
Families
- Socialise boys and girls in such a way as to prevent gender stereotypes and produce the new man and woman with new and progressive conceptions of masculinity and feminity.
Civil Society
- Continue advocacy for gender equality and women empowerment
- Involve men and boys in the struggle for gender equality and women empowerment
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