By Funmi Adekoya
The 2023 general elections have come and gone, but with a low percentage of women’s representation in the National and State Assemblies despite a series of enlightenment and support by International and local Civil Society Organisations for women’s participation in politics, the story could still be read as the same.
According to a United Nations Women’s report on Women’s representation in Nigeria’s National and State Assemblies, only 75 women make up the National Assembly and State Assembly representing 5% of the 1459 total seats.
In the State Houses of Assembly, out of 990 seats, women occupy only 55 representing 6 percent.
Out of 36 states of the federation, 14 State Houses of Assembly do not have women as representatives, including Osun State House of Assembly with 26 constituencies.
This situation could be linked to the challenges encountered by women while venturing into politics as highlighted by the Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.
“There’s a lot of violence around politics in Nigeria. When you are a woman, you are labeled a prostitute in politics, there is also cultural inhibitions that women should not participate in politics. The male hegemony within the political parties will tell women to step down for the men.”
Dr Akiyode-Afolabi described the low representation of women in the Legislative arm of government as unhealthy for Nigeria’s democratic system.
“Given the record that we have now, if you look at the National Assembly, we don’t have up to 7% of women. There are some Houses of Assembly in Nigeria where we have just one or in some places where we don’t even have any woman at all in the parliament, and if you look at that in terms of representation that is quite embarrassing, especially in a democratic society where participation is critical”
In her submission, a female politician, Mrs Mercy Ayodele, pointed out that women limited themselves by not supporting women candidates during elections.
“Even women, we are the enemy of ourselves, when I contested as a Governor in 2018, a lady said I’m not going to vote for her. Why? She said we women when we are in offices we are always tough, we are always proud, we are always this, we are always that,…but we can make a difference.”
Mrs Ayodele who was a candidate in the 2018 governorship election in Osun State advised women to be more active in politics from the grassroots for them to be reckoned with during the election.
For an Osogbo-based gender advocate, Mrs Tope Ola, promoting women’s representation in governance, particularly at the legislative level must be a deliberate programme of political parties by conceding at least 30-35 percent of their candidacy to women.
Mrs Ola charged women who got elected into legislative assemblies to demonstrate capacity and build trust to serve as a yardstick to get women voted into such competitive political positions.
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