Women and Political Participation in Nigeria:A Study of Enugu State Women, 1999-2019

Abstract

Over the years, marginalization has characterized women participation in politics due to alleged inhibiting social, cultural and religious factors. These factors purportedly affect women’s active involvement in politics. However, various moves to correct this disadvantaged position of women in politics have proved abortive as the spate of women involvement is still low. Based on this challenge, this study appraised women political participation in Nigeria with special interest in Enugu State under the present Fourth Republic. The Ambivalent Sexism theory as espoused by Glick and Fiske (1997; 2001) was adopted as the framework of analysis for the study. This theory posits that there is a kind of relationship between men and women which results in deep ambivalence. It further maintains that hostile and benevolent sexism complement each other in reinforcing traditional gender roles and preserving patriarchal social structures of women as subordinate to men. The data for the study were collected using questionnaire as primary source, while textbooks, journals, internet materials were for secondary source. These data collected were analyzed using Linear Regression. The study revealed that perception of women and their traditional roles in the society largely militates against their active political participation in Nigeria especially in Enugu State (β =.258; t=4.589; p<0.01). However, the study recommended that all traditional, cultural and institutional inhibitions preventing Nigerian women from active participation in politics should be abolished at all cost.