A Sociological Analysis Of Political Gender Balancing In Nigeria

Abstract

In spite of the local and international concern about mainstreaming women in all aspects of human endeavours globally, Nigerian women are still largely marginalized in the political processes of the country as evidenced in their low level of participation in this sector. Nigerian women, like those of other developing countries of the world, are yet to be given pre-eminence in politics due largely to the traditional attitude of the make-dominated society, which discriminates against women. This paper is essentially a discourse on the embeddednes of the traditional attitudes responsible for women's invisibility in public life in Nigeria. The paper begins by examining women's participation in politics in Nigeria since 1960 and the factors that hinder it. In it we also examine the efforts made so far to enhance their political participation and obstacles militating against them. It argues that unless those societal attitudes that encourage male-dominance and female-subordination are eliminated, the desired pre-eminence of women in politics in Nigeria will remain elusive. It concludes by suggesting the educational and economic empowerment of women as well as the elimination of other forms of socio-economic obstacles to women's political participation.

JORIND Vol. 5 (1) 2007: pp. 51-62