IMPACT OF WOMEN PARTICIPATION ON THE POLITICAL SYSTEM OF NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
Nigerian women have been confined to the margins of Nigerian politics. In this study, we set out to investigate women’s political participation in Abia State. And to understand why women have not been successful in altering the political system.
The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not women are actively involved in Abia State politics. And again, to determine the causes responsible for the amount of women’s engagement in Abia State politics, as well as the tactics to be implemented in order to attain women’s political participation.
It is apparent that women in Nigeria have faced a variety of challenges when entering politics. Males face significant discrimination in both voting for candidates and distributing political offices.
This topic and problem of women and political engagement in Nigeria is an issue of national orientation and awareness to society at large, particularly to the majority of the people’ low level of knowledge.
Finally, the government should educate the majority of people, particularly women, because the majority are illiterates and have already demonstrated that many of them have no right to participate in political and public affairs.
CHAPITRE ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The fate of Nigerian women over the last 45 years cannot be defined as ideal, but it is far better than what is available in certain third-world countries. Women in Nigeria have grown into what can comfortably be called as autonomous for over forty-five (45) years after Nigeria’s independence,
contrary to popular belief that women are sex symbols whose primary role is either in the kitchen or in their husband’s bed. Women accepted whatever attitude, belief, biases, and treatment was meted out to them until recently, when Nigerian women became more aware of their rights and positions in society.
Any woman who knows her political rights and asks is quickly regarded as “Tomboyish” and quickly labelled “woman rebel” during the colonial era, much was not heard of women in Nigeria political except for a few occasions when they stood their ground to protest one incident or another.
In African history, women have often been connected with violence and military incursions. For example, in 1929, nearly 10,000 Ibo, Bio, and Igbo women reacted to taxation rumours, resulting in the deaths of approximately 26 of them.
Northern Nigerian women’s movement resulted in the foundation of the Northern People Congress (NPC) and Northern Elements of Progressive Union (NEPU) in 1973.
The world body recognises that women require special assistance due to the fact that they are frequently discriminated against in many parts of the world, including the so-called civilised world.
The preceding statement demonstrated that women are discriminated against all across the world and require particular training, assistance, and motivation to reach the same political heights as their male counterparts.
Women in Abia State have been largely alienated, discriminated against, subjected, and excluded from general state management. On their part, females have been agitating and fighting for economic advancement and social acceptance inside the state polity.
The research will then investigate the nature and character of Abia State politics in order to estimate the degree of women’s participation and training in state political activities.
At the end of the assessment, feasible proposals on how to better their lot in the state, particularly in terms of political engagement, will be chosen.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
A careful examination of women’s political engagement and education in Nigeria reveals that they have not been actively participated in the process of refining the political system.
This difference between women and non-political participation has been a source of contention and debate among Nigerian scholars, politicians, commentators, and others.
Since 1999, when the current civilian government took power after a long period of military rule, women politicians in Abia State, like their counterparts in other parts of the federation,
have expressed concern about women’s low participation and alienation in state politics. As a result, in 2003, Laureta Aniagolu, a female governorship aspirant, entered the campaign for the seat of governor in Enugu State.
Unfortunately, she was duped in the United Nigeria People Party’s primaries. She eventually joined the National Conscience Party and was defeated along with other hopefuls in a General Election deemed a rape of democracy and political fraud by Asowata (12006) and many other observers.
Women’s apathy and alienation politics have been linked to a number of factors, including the colonial system’s economic and political exclusion of women from state control and management,
the postcolonial system’s exclusion, religious cultural enslavement of women, contemporary economic deprivation, educational disempowerment, and social discrimination.
Some fundamental questions arise as a result of these premises:
Have women been actively involved in Abia State politics?
Is the postcolonial continuation of the colonial system of social discrimination and educational disempowerment to blame for the low degree of female political engagement and training in Abia State?
What tactics should be used to ensure women’s active engagement in Abia State politics?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
A study is being conducted to determine the nature of women’s political engagement and training, the level obtained, the obstacles, and what should be done to improve the level of participation and training.
The study established the participation of women who are skilled in politics and how their participation has aided in the instillation, advancement, and emancipation of women from the state’s decision-making body.
The definite and tangible desired outcome at the conclusion of the research work emphasises its aims (Obasi:1999). As a result, the purpose of this research is as follows:
To determine whether or whether women are actively involved in Abia State politics and, if so, what impact they have had.
To determine whether a colonial and post-colonial system of social discrimination against women still persists in Abai State politics.
Determine the tactics to be used in order to secure active engagement of women in Abia State politics.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
As an intellectual endeavour, the relevance of this form of study is so vast that it cannot be comprehended with or restricted to conventional terms.
In the first place, one can correctly state that the study’s significance is to reveal the nature and character of the Nigerian political system and then use this as a prelude to analysing the nature and character of Abia state politics, with particular reference to the degree of participation of women in Abia State politics.
The investigation will reveal in the political actions of Nigeria and Abia State in particular from the sector, the fundamental issues responsible for low training of women in Abia State and Nigeria in general.
According to this tendency, the study will also provide both women and frequently political stakeholders with the necessary knowledge for addressing the challenges of inadequate training of women in political involvement in Nigeria and Abia State.
Theoretically, there has been for a broad work on Nigerian women, particularly in the political domain. This will provide an overview of the topic, as well as combine
and synthesise diverse perspectives of women and their efforts to emancipate themselves from the social, economic, cultural, and political subordination in which they find themselves. This work will make a significant contribution in this regard.
At the empirical level, women, particularly those aiming to political positions, will be equally represented among policymakers in general.
It would provide them insight into the barriers (economic, social, and cultural) to women’s political aspirations, and thus know how to draft legislation that would support their effective participation in politics.
1.5 OBJECTIVES AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study was conducted over a reasonable time period of 1999-2009 in the Ohafia local government area of Abia State. First and foremost, the scope extends from the colonial period to the present.
This stems from the fact that the colonial masters established the process of economic and political estrangement and exclusion of women, which was typically inherited and later enhanced by the indigenous political elite.
However, in terms of operation, Nigeria is the grand from work of analysis in which Abia State remains the point of concentration, and women, collectively, have remained the essential instrument of study.
1.6 LIMITATIONS
The research work has its own set of problems that either helped or hindered its progress.
Time constants, financial shortcomings of the interviews, inadequate government aid, and poor infrastructure facilities such as a lack of power supply are among the problems and limits. All of these difficulties and restrictions were encountered by the researcher while carrying out this research.
However, with effort and foresight, these obstacles were successfully overcome, and the researcher’s work was completed successfully.
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions have been proposed as a guide to determine the influence of women’s participation in politics in Nigeria.
Have Nigerian women participated in politics?
To what extent have they been permitted to participate?
What are the potential barriers to women’s political participation?
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
The goal of conceptual clarification is to clarify terms explicitly in order to enhance understanding for the purposes of this work. The concepts listed below will be defined.
Women Liberation: With these efforts for rights and objectives, it is said to constitute what is of women’s interest and what is not, because the term is freely used.
Alienation: The state of being removed or isolated is characterised as alienation. It could be considered a denial of one’s right.
Apathy is characterised as a lack of interest or concern for things that others find interesting or thrilling, particularly in a society’s political structures.
Culture is defined as a person’s way of life, which includes their manner of wearing, cooking, dancing, eating, greeting, language, and so on. It is a specific form or stage of civilization, such as that of a particular nation or period.
Furthermore, it is a complex that includes information, beliefs, morals, law, tradition, and any other abilities and habits that man has gained as a part of society.
Discrimination: Discrimination is defined as the treatment of, or making a distinction in favour of or against a person or group of people.
Training is defined as the process of preparing or being prepared for a sport or work, for example, training individuals in politics to be able to engage effectively in politics or training people for a vocation.
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