A Comparative Study of Women Political Participation in Ekiti and Ondo States of Nigeria, 2007-2019

Abstract

Nigeria, by global and regional standards, has low rates of women representation in politics. Even though women make up about half of the population, this numerical strength has not translated into political power. Rather, it has only helped their male counterparts to continually gain power since women’s participation in politics has mostly been limited to voting. Even with the development of National Gender Policy which recommended 35% affirmative action for a more inclusive representation of women both in elective and appointive positions, and its five-year implementation plan of 2008, women's political participation has remained pathetically low. Women in Ekiti and Ondo States are not left out in this abysmal underrepresentation as they continually struggle to be accepted as equal stakeholders in democratic politics, despite the fact that these states have one of the highest literacy rates in Southwest Nigeria. This study provides a comparative study of women political participation in Ondo and Ekiti States between 2007 and 2019. The study applies both quantitative and qualitative methods. A total of 200 questionnaires (100 for each state) were administered, and data collected from secondary sources were critically reviewed. The study reveals that the patriarchal nature of the society has created women’s inferiority complex and unacceptability, thereby alienating them from mainstream politics. It is recommended that, rather than pay lip service to women empowerment, government should tackle inhibiting factors which continue to relegate women to the background by entrenching guidelines for the implementation of gender policies.