An Empirical Analysis of Women's Participation in Nigerian Politics from 1963 to 2022
Okoye, Loveth
Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
Okoli, Angela M.
Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
Amadi, Chukwudera Deborah
Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
Okalla, N. Fabian
Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
Etumnu, Emeka Williams *
Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
Ohiri Chinedu George
Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Most of the population in Nigeria today are women. There is no doubt that their participation in politics can bring about political and socio-economic development. Yet, women are sidelined and, most of the time, relegated to the background in terms of politics despite the affirmative action of 35% of women. Therefore, this study critically reviews Nigerian women's participation in politics based on the affirmative declaration using empirical studies done concerning the issue at hand. The intersectional theory serves as the study's theoretical foundation. Based on empirical research from previous studies, it was revealed that for Nigeria to achieve democratic consolidation, women must aim for prominence in mainstream political growth. So, it was suggested that steps be taken to fix the low number of women in Nigerian politics, which will not make much of a difference until the country's socio-economic, cultural, and political factors that keep women from being powerful are fixed.
Keywords: Equity, equality, key power positions, women, affirmative action, politics, participation