TINUBU AND WOMEN’S UNDERREPRESENTATION IN GOVERNANCE

John Mayaki asks the president-elect to accord women representation a high priority 

As the battle for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly heats up, with contestants emphasizing the importance of forming an inclusive government on the strict basis of religion and ethnicity, an important group has been yet again relegated to the background where they are forgotten and overlooked. There is little or no consideration for women in this frantic political jostling, despite accounting for half of the population and their effective representation being a more powerful antidote to a lopsided government and, invariably, a defective democracy.

We can start with the election itself which turned out to be a setback for women as a group. From a representation level of about 6% in the 9th assembly, an abysmal record that placed Nigeria on the list of the countries with the lowest women representation in the world, the figure has dropped drastically to 3.62%. Only 17 women were successful in their attempts to claim seats out of the 469 available in both chambers.

To be sure, parliamentary elections in a number of constituencies were pending but the outcome of those contests did not materially affect the outlined trend and the grim reality of women’s poor representation. The 10th Assembly is poised to have fewer women representation than the 9th Assembly which itself suffered criticism on the account of its grossly inequitable and low women representation. The story is the same in other government institutions and agencies, completing the portrait of a nation governed largely and exclusively by men. Certainly, this is an anomaly and a blemish on our democracy.

There are those who shrug when this fact is presented. For them, it’s simply a matter of electoral viability and political gamesmanship. They reason that if women fail at navigating the thorny path to power, and are thus coming up short against their male counterparts at the polls, then the onus lies with them, not the nation or the political system, to improve their political skills and make themselves more appealing to the electorate. But this view is both jaundiced and short-sighted.

It ignores the historical and entrenched obstacles placed in the path of women that rig the game against them. Their economic disempowerment and the heavy monetization of politics. Patriarchal norms and beliefs are preserved and promoted by cultural institutions that view power and leadership as the exclusive preserve of men. Unequal access to opportunities such as the deprioritization of the girl-child education due to gendered stereotypes that often reduce women to domestic workers fit only for household duties.

It could be argued that our society, for the most part, resists women’s aspiration to power, and ambitious women, through films and other influencers of popular culture, are portrayed in a negative light. This is not a battle that women can win by simply becoming better politicians. It is a societal problem that we must acknowledge and collectively, through deliberate policies and actions, redress.

Besides, if the goal of democracy is representation, such that all hues and shades of society are offered a chance to participate in its leadership, Nigeria cannot be said to have satisfactorily met this goal considering that half of its population is effectively locked out of its leadership. This is neither a consequence-free deficit nor a sustainable situation.

Multiple research studies have identified women’s absence in leadership as one of the major factors responsible for the country’s slow socio-economic growth. Essentially, when only male voices and concerns design policies and laws, the peculiar needs of women are neglected and their contribution to society is hampered. It is akin to a bird trying to fly with one of its wings wrapped around its body.

The Nigerian government, under the progressive leadership of the APC, has acknowledged this challenge and made efforts to address it. The approval of the National Gender Policy, which recommends 35% affirmative action for women, is one such effort. But implementation has been lacking and more can be done to modify the operations of political institutions in the country to mainstream gender as a fundamental inclusion principle. The Tinubu-presidency can score a quick and easy win here by ensuring that women enjoy equitable representation in appointive positions, including the ministerial cabinet.

Also, it can insist that the negative effects of women’s poor representation in parliament are lessened by mandating the party’s leadership to increase the influence of those who managed to secure seats. In the ongoing negotiation and horse-trading for principal positions and committee assignments, gender must carry similar weight to ethnicity and religion, with women offered significant positions where they can shape legislation and influence outcomes. This is the only way to achieve a truly representative and equitable government that delivers social justice to all members of Nigerian society.

The APC’s progressive governance model should make this a goal the party readily pursues. Not just as a high-minded ideal but also as a practical step to increase its appeal to a powerful voting bloc.

Mayaki is a developmental and multi-skilled journalist, Historian and Diplomat