By Joy Ngwakwe
There is a global realization that
women’s leadership and participation in politics is critical to social,
economic and democratic development. A
realization that is much needed in Nigeria. In Nigeria, women make up almost half of the
population yet are excluded from contributing meaningfully in our national
development through their exclusion from virtually all elements of politics and
leadership.
Despite a commitment to at least 35% representation, women are almost absent
from decision-making positions in Nigeria. There are less then 10% of women in
the Senate and only slightly more in the House of Representatives. This trend
is seen replicated at both national and local elective and appointive positions
in the country.
In Nigeria’s first democratic election of 1999, 3 of
the 109 Senate Representatives were women and 12 of 360 House of Representative
members were female. In 2003 there were 4 in the Senate and 23 women in the
House of Representative. In 2007, we had 8 and 26 in house of representatives.
in 2011 those figures were unchanged. Today we have 7 in the senate and 19 in
the house of representatives - a decline in representation.
We have 6 out of 37 women ministers - about
16% down from the 31% representation in the previous cabinet.
We expect the president himself to set an example by
adhering to the 35% target.
We are currently at the lowest levels since 1999 elections when we
should be making steady progress to equal representation. If we are serious about development, then we
need to take action now to right this imbalance.
Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination
Against Women which calls on countries to ”take all appropriate
measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public
life of the country”.
This includes ensuring that women, on equal terms with men,
have the right to vote; to participate in the formulation and implementation of
government policy; to hold public office and perform all public functions at
all levels of government.
In addition, CEDAW calls on countries to ensure women have
the right to participate in non-governmental organizations and associations
concerned with the public and political life of the country.
CEDAW notes that "...the full and complete development
of a country, the welfare of the world and the cause of peace require the
maximum participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields".
As a signatory, Nigeria commits to this maximum
participation.
There are multiple implications, trickle-down trends and
consequences of women’s exclusion from politics and leadership both for the
women themselves and for the country. The
evidence in this imbalance can be found in feminization of poverty. This is
borne by research[1]
which shows that 65% of Nigerians - half of them women - live below the poverty
line with very little access to basic goods, services and commodities.
Nigeria’s deepening poverty profile puts an even greater burden on rural women
whose issues are often left out of policy formulation because of their very
limited representation.
Women are more likely to be unemployed, uneducated and have less
access to resources such as credit. And,
even when they are employed, they have less opportunities for promotion due to
their reproductive role. Women are most affected by the conditions of our
health system as they are the ones most likely to need to access primary health
care as they carry out their reproductive and care-giving roles. Indeed, the HIV
statistics show women are more likely to be infected and affected.
Their status in society makes it difficult for women to make
critical decisions regarding their health such as negotiating safe sex or
removing themselves from violent relationships.
Women’s issues are not represented in policy formulation as
women are not represented there. As women are primarily the caregivers, this
has a real impact on the status of the family.
These statics clearly show that women’s exclusion from
participating in leadership, politics and decision-making impacts on our
national development. In the end, everyone pays the price as the country fails
to harness the energy of half of its population.
But, as we can see, commitment is not enough: Without a
carefully planned affirmative action programme that is implemented by different
stakeholders at various levels - including national and local - it will be virtually
impossible to create a gender balanced leadership in Nigeria.
What should we do? As we gradually approach the 2019, we
must act swiftly to ensure that women are not left behind on voting day. More
than commitment, we need an action plan to provide various platforms for
closing the existing gender-gaps.
These affirmative action programmes could include training
on women’s leadership and political participation to ensure that women
participate actively and effectively in party structures.
We need to start early to identify women and match them to
the opportunities out there. Where
possible, we must lobby for budget allocations to the issues that affect women
in general, and specifically their participation in leadership and politics in
the country.
We need only look elsewhere in Africa, to Rwanda
to see the real development benefits to the society of women’s participation in
leadership.
Nigeria has an opportunity to harness the power of its
women. We should not squander it.
Joy Ngwakwe
is Executive Director of the Centre for Advancement of Development Rights
(CEADER) in Lagos, Nigeria. She is an African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF)
Fellow.
[1] Women and Poverty in Nigeria: Agenda for Poverty Eradication Umar Shehu UsmanPhD Sociology Department,
Nasarawa State University, Keffi – Nigeria Developing Country Studies
www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-607X (Paper) ISSN 2225-0565 (Online) Vol.5, No.3, 2015
