Rights advocate identifies cost, culture, and insecurity as major barriers
By Elvira Jordan
PORT HARCOURT — Women’s participation in elective politics in Nigeria remains significantly low despite women making up nearly half of the country’s voting population.
Current data shows women hold less than 10% of total political representation, one of the lowest rates in Africa. In the National Assembly, women occupy only 4% of seats. That’s 4 out of 109 in the Senate and 17 out of 360 in the House of Representatives.
In State Houses of Assembly, women make up about 5% — 54 out of 990 lawmakers. Up to 14 states have absolutely no female representation in their Houses of Assembly.
This is despite the Revised National Gender Policy recommending a 35% affirmative action target for women.
“Sit At The Table Where Decisions Are Made”
Speaking with Exceed FM, social analyst and women’s rights advocate Dr. Elizabeth Aduku called for increased participation of women in Nigeria’s political process.“Women do not just need aid. They need policies that protect their lives, their environment, their lands, their water and their rights. Participating in politics gives women the opportunity to sit at the table where decisions are made,” she said.
Dr. Aduku said her interest in politics stems from a desire to influence policies that address challenges facing women and vulnerable communities.
3 Major Barriers Identified
According to Dr. Aduku, three key factors are limiting women:
- High Cost of Politics: “The cost of obtaining nomination forms alone runs into millions of naira, making it difficult for many qualified women to participate.”
- Cultural Stereotypes: Societal expectations that women should remain confined to domestic responsibilities discourage many aspiring female leaders.
- Insecurity and Intimidation: “Female politicians are frequently subjected to harassment, public ridicule and character attacks,” she said.
Way Forward
Despite the challenges, Dr. Aduku expressed confidence that greater female representation would improve governance.“Women bring empathy, accountability and inclusive problem-solving approaches to governance, qualities essential for national development,” she added.
She called on the government, political parties and stakeholders to provide financial support for female candidates, strengthen security for women in politics, and challenge narratives that discourage women from leadership.
