ROLE OF NEWSPAPER IN MOBILIZING WOMEN FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
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ROLE OF NEWSPAPER IN MOBILIZING WOMEN FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Nigerian women account about half of the country’s population, but the constitutional provision for women to hold one-third of seats remains a phantom.
With only one-third of political seats, the marginalised group continues to be misrepresented. According to statistics, women make up only 6% of Nigeria’s ministerial and sub-ministerial authorities.
According to the Gender Audit and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Parline database (2011 and 2015), as cited in Agbalajobi (2015, p.88), there was no seat for women in the governorship and house of assembly with 990 seats in 2011 and 2015, respectively; women received 36 and 54 seats in 2011 and 2015.
All of this demonstrates that women participate in politics, yet women continue to be under-represented in Nigeria, despite the fact that women compete for only one-third of seats to represent their party. Could this be due to a lack of understanding or a poor degree of sensitisation by the print media?
According to Klein (2005, p.17), political involvement refers to a citizen’s right to affect public affairs. In keeping with this idea, political involvement can be defined as activities made by citizens of a country to influence or support government and politics.
It stems from the freedom to speak out, assemble, and associate; the ability to participate in the administration of public affairs; and the opportunity to register as a candidate, campaign, be elected, and occupy office at all levels of government.
In Nigeria, women play a minor part in politics. Few women are found in political leadership positions, despite the fact that the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Chapter 4 sections 30 and 40 guaranteed rights to all citizens of Nigeria- both male and female- rights that are basic and fundamental to all without discrimination between the sexes. Onabajo (2000, p. 13).
Women have actively participated in political struggles since the nineteenth century. Women such as Queen Amina Nikatau of Zaria, Madam Tinubu of Lagos, Olufunmilayo Ransom Kuti of Abeokuta, Margaret Ekpo, and Hajjia Gabon Swabia, among many others, have campaigned to ensure that Nigerian women have a prominent position in Nigerian history Luka (2011).
In the realm of politics, these women, among others, made significant contributions to women’s mobilisation and sensitisation in order to ensure active participation in politics.
According to former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Professor Attahiru M. Jega, ‘Women should not be reduced to merely voting and supporting male candidates gain political offices’. This was the rationale behind the publication of the INEC Gender Policy, which institutionalised the following:
1. Ensure that INEC’s policies, programs, processes, and operations are gender responsive.
2. Promoting gender equity and balance within political parties, particularly in the selection of candidates in accordance with their statutes;
3. Increasing budgetary supply and mobilising partners to effectively provide money for gender sensitive activities within their purview and
4. Promoting an enabling legal environment for gender equality and closing inequalities in political representation in elective positions at all levels.
Print media in any civilisation cannot function in isolation. They must work within a state. The mass media is commonly viewed as the fourth estate of government, serving as a watchdog for society.
They observe what is happening in society and report it to the public as it is. Newspapers, magazines, and so on are examples of print media. That is any media used to convey enormous amounts of information to a wide, diverse set of people.
They report on the activities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government in any state that implements democracy (Olojede 2000).
Nigeria professes to exercise democracy, yet this practice does not appear to be absolute because it does not adhere to the principles of democracy. According to International IDEA (2000, p.46), a democratic culture must reflect norms and values that prioritise individual freedom, including freedom from state abuse and infringements of rights by others.
It also ensures equality before the law and gives all citizens equal access to the material and cultural resources that ensure their fundamental livelihood.
The essence of democracy is that citizens must be able to express themselves freely through unrestricted debates at the lowest level and smallest unit, and that there should be active citizen participation in governance as well as unrestricted communication between government and the governed (Agbalajob 2009).
According to the above statement, Nigeria’s democracy is not true democracy because not all citizens of the state have equal rights to material and cultural resources, particularly women, who still face all forms of stereotyping.
Women, who account for nearly half of the country’s population, are unable to express their opinions, resulting in low levels of participation in governance.
As a result, there is a need to use the print media, which is a tool for social change, to effectively sensitise this group of people (women) so that their views can be freely expressed and encourage their participation in governance, rather than leaving government in the hands of a few, but many.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Women are under-represented in politics, and this is no secret. In keeping with Luka’s (2011) argument that “Politics is too serious a business to be left solely in the hands of men,” the continued low political engagement of women in Nigeria is a big problem.
In 2011, just 20 of Nigeria’s 109 senate seats were occupied by women, and in the House of Representatives, only 24 of 362 members were occupied by women. In addition to the foregoing, Nigeria has no female governors and no female president or vice president, owing to vacancies in 36 states.
Women have held high political positions of leadership in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Brazil, Liberia, and Germany, among others, but the converse is true in Nigeria.
Women are also encouraged to lead rather than follow because they have equal rights under Nigeria’s 1999 constitution. The mass media, particularly radio, plays an essential role in mobilising women for political engagement because this is one of the media’s primary functions.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The purpose of this investigation is therefore stated as follows:
1. Explain the function of print media in mobilising women for political participation.
2. To understand how societal culture and norms influence women’s participation in politics in Nigeria.
3. To investigate the role of media in mobilising women for political participation.
4.Identify some of the challenges that women face when participating in politics.
1.4 Research Questions.
In this study, an adequate attempt will be made to address the following questions.
1. What role does the print media play in mobilising women for political participation?
2. How do society culture and norms affect women’s political participation in Nigeria?
3. How has media influenced women’s political participation?
4. What are the challenges women face when participating in politics?
1.5 Scope of Study
The study will primarily focus on the assessment of print media’s role in mobilising women for political participation.
1.6 Significance of the Study
It is intended that by the completion of this study, information within the study’s framework will have been updated. It will particularly help people’s perceptions of the effectiveness of print media in mobilising women to participate in decision-making.
This study will call attention to the government’s efforts to empower women to participate in politics through the employment of newspapers, magazines, and motion pictures in the packaging of news reports and events, as well as academics’ practices and journalist training.
The government should encourage the well-being of women in general. Also, the federal government should promote the full utilisation of women in human resource development, as well as their acceptance as full participants in every phase of national development with equal rights and corresponding obligations, with at least 30% elective positions reserved for women.
Another crucial aspect of this is that elections be handled in accordance with the regulations, in which all qualified citizens, including women, are able to vote or be voted for without fear of manipulation.
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