Nigeria

During the precolonial era, women, traditionally, were allowed to participate in government and hold major roles in markets in parts of South-eastern Nigeria dominated by Igbos.

A former minister of aviation and the founder/chairperson of Women Leadership Institute (WLI), Dr. Kema Chikwe, has underscored the need to remove institutional, economic, cultural and political impediments to women participation in politics.

Dr. Chikwe who spoke in Abuja at the weekend at the inaugural conference and official launch of WLI, reiterated the call for gender mainstreaming to boost women participation in the decision making process.

A group, under the auspices of the Women Leadership Institute (WLI), has designed a curriculum to help neutralise African society’s perception about women’s participation in leadership. 

Barely eight months to the 2019 general election, stakeholders have expressed dismay at the declining rate of women participation in public service.

Speakers at the annual law week of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), at Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos; concluded that there is need to create women caucuses, stressing that that could encourage International Organisations to amplify and recognise the voices of female legislators.

The UK Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria Laure Beaufils, facilitated a brainstorming conversation with a diverse array of Nigeria stakeholders on barriers to women’s participation in politics.

The Society for Empowerment and Self Reliance (SESER), advocated structural changes in the political framework to increase women’s participation to foster economic growth and development.The National Coordinator, Mrs Rose Effiong said this in a media briefing in Abuja in preparation towards the All African Women Summit (AAFWOS).

As the 2019 election is approaching, more women are beginning to express interest in contesting the presidential election on different political platforms.

One of such women, Princess Oyenike Oyedele Roberts, who recently expressed willingness to run for the apex political post in the country on the platform of the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Nigeria would do better under the leadership of a female president.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has decried low participation of women in political processes.

The Commission said despite the fact that women constitute 48 percent of the population, only 5.8 percent  of them hold political offices.

The Commission also revealed that since the commencement of CVR in 2017, only 1,362,293 women have registered compared to men who have 1,560,823 registration.