THE ROLE OF WOMEN ACTIVISTS IN POLITICAL PROCESSES IN NIGERIA DEMOCRATISATION FROM CIVIL RULE 1999 TO 2019

This article is a summary of the paper presented at the Rosaluxembirg foundation program. The Webinar was held via zoom where different West African Countries were represented .The main research is titled THE ROLE OF WOMEN ACTIVISTS IN POLITICAL PROCESSES IN WEST AFRICA: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA DEMOCRATISATION FROM CIVIL RULE 1999 TO 2019 . It is a 3200 words research.

This article is just a summary

The work recognised that Nigerian women involvement in political processes and participation is something that is of importance, because the female population in Nigeria is at a numerical advantage at 49.2 percent, and if women are to fully participating in political processes and in political position, there would be growth and development. Despite this, women roles in politics are minute and women status in political set up is marginal, women involvement and participation in political processes and activities, has low engagement level and there is visible exclusion of women in certain politics processes and governance. This is a setback, a challenge faced in quest of women to participate in politics and political processes.

The work  made use of the historical approach to gather data and the choice for 2019 as termination date is when President Muhammad Buhari was re-elected President.

The work discussed on the roles of women, women activist and women organization in the political process in Nigeria. It was divided into 8 segments which included the introduction; The Nature of Political Activities in Nigeria the place Of Nigerian Women In Politics And Political Movement; The Presence And Role Of Women Group, Individual Activist And Women Organisation In Political Processes In Nigeria; Challenges faced by Nigerian women, women activist and women in politics, Panacea To The Challenges Faced By Women In Regards To Politics And Gender Stereotypes, Community Way To Promote Women Participation In Politics And Tackle Gender Based Violence(GBV) And Violence and conclusion.

The work show women who held significant positions , women who can be recognised as activists in precolonial time, colonial and post colonial time . In Precolonial time there were women like Queen Amina of Zaria , Princess Moremi of Ife. in colonial time there was MRS Funmilayo Ramsome Kuti, MRS Margaret Ekpone, Hajia Swaba to mention a few. With independence comes different changes in the political processes and democratisation in Nigeria, which is discussed in the paper.

From the fourth republic from 1999, the involvement and representation of women in politics have been a struggle , women are working to gain top political leadership, although it is not easy( the challenges and ratios have been discussed in the paper).

Find below a table of women Representation in Election from 1999-2019

The National average of women participation in in Nigeria since 1999 has not reached the 30 % benchmark set up by the Beijing 1995 declaration eg. In 1999 there was 3 % in representation, 4 % in 2003, in 2007 6%, 5.6 % in 2015 and 4.1% in 2019. this is evident that women participation is low. 

In the fourth republic, women have held position but this is not as extensive as it should be, With regards to the national assembly from 1999-2013 , out of 109 senatorial positions, only 3 women were senators, leaving the remaining 106 as men. From 1999-2011 there was only 10 Deputy governor eg. Kofo Bukunor Akerele in Lagos State. By 2019, it was a total of 19 female deputy governors

So far only one woman namely Sarah Jibril was the female presidential aspirant in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sarah Jibril contested against Goodluck Jonathan and Atiku Abubakar in the Presidential election 2011 general election in which she had only one vote at the end of the exercise. In order words, no woman has been elected president.

There has been only one female governor which was in Anambra state and she was not elected, this was Dame Virginia Etiaba she was sworn in due to a circumstance that arose, her swearing in was made possible because the impeachment her principal in person of Peter Obi, this was short lived as she transferred power back to Peter Obi when the impeachment was nullified. Thus, Limited women are involved in the political processes, form the executive, judiciary and government agencies.

With the nature of political practice in Nigeria where there are discriminatory practices, women are not fully informed and given an opportunity and platform to lead, different women movement have reason to protest. women activists and organizations are championing for women to play a role In political processes have their impact felt In Nigeria.

Examples of some women organisations
▪ National Council Women Societies NCWS
▪ National association of women Lawyers ( NAWL)
▪ Nigerian Women Union (NWU)
▪ Federation of Nigerian women Societes (FNWS)
▪ Federation of Muslim Women Association (FOMWAN) ▪ Women in Nigeria (WIN)

Examples of Individual/activist championing Women participation in Politics

• Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, she is recognized as the Pioneer of African Feminism and als a women Right Activist.
• Aisha Yusufu who is a political and women right Activist. She championed the 2016 Bring back Our Girls in 2016 and the End SARS protest in 2020
• Omolola Lola is an women right activist and advocate
• Virginia Etiaba who was the first female Governor in Nigeria history.

Some Nigerian women have played a row in the national and international level like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Amina Mohammed, Enoh Obong,Funmi Badejo,Olukemi Badenoch to mention a few

The work has looked at possible Panacea to the challenges face by women in regards to politics and Gender stereotypes and Violence .

The work concluded that with regards to political participation and women activist role in politics, women in Nigeria has been faced with several challenges which ranges from economic, political, social, cultural , religious factors, there is also the presence of gender based violence and has remained trivialized and minute, not Withstanding the challenges, there have being women taking up roles in Nigeria politics especially since 1999.

Women are active consistently but there is a need for more women participation in politics and for women to hold substantial positions and not the auxiliary role that streamlines them to a particular political post. The importance of this is so that women can make important decisions at Federal and State level that would promote development etc. There is a need for political parties to take into account the concerns of women.

Women who have held different political office has demonstrated good leadership qualities, shown hard work, dedication, tolerance, thoroughness, transparency and have promoted development while in office eg. Dr Okonjo- Iwelawho served as the Minister of finance and is currently the Director General of World Trade Organization WTO, Professor Dora Akunyili head of NAFDAC, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, MrsAbigail Ukpabi , Formal minister of women affairs. Aisha JumaiAl-Hassan etc. Also Women association has been used to optimize and operationalise political and economic empowerment of women thus enabling women to participate in leadership, governance, decision making and political participation.

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