Abbas: Women Underrepresentation in Decision-making Positions Disheartening

Adedayo Akinwale and Aminat Hassan in Abuja

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas has described the persistent underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions across various sectors as disheartening.
He also decried systemic barriers that hinder women’s participation and limit their ability to influence policies that affect their lives and communities
Abbas disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a one-day high level national summit on women inclusion, saying it was instructive to recognise the critical role that women play within the society.

He said current statistics revealed that women constitute approximately 49.45 percent of Nigeria’s total population as of 2023.
The Speaker said aside the demographic strength of women, they also have the potential to drive transformative change in the country.
Abbas stated: “Women are not just passive participants in our society; they are vital contributors to economic growth, social development, and community resilience.

“Their voices must therefore be amplified and their contributions recognised if we are to realise the full potential of our nation.
“Despite this demographic advantage, it is disheartening to note that women’s representation in governance has not kept pace with their numbers.
“Over the years, we have witnessed a persistent underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions across various sectors.
“This disparity is not merely a statistic; it reflects systemic barriers that hinder women’s participation and limit their ability to influence policies that affect their lives and communities.”

The Speaker pointed out that “the summit provides a crucial platform for harmonising efforts among all stakeholders – government officials, civil society organizations, private sector representatives, and international partners – to forge a united front in advocating women’s constitutional inclusion.
“Our discussions today should focus on developing strategies for enhancing women’s representation in governance and ensuring that their voices are heard at all levels.”

Abbas stressed that the 10th National Assembly was also concerned about the low level of women representation in governance.
According to him, in examining the electoral outcomes from the 2015 and 20,19 elections, it is evident that women’s political representation remains disproportionately low compared to their population size.

In the 2015 and 2019 elections, a total of 2,970 candidates were on the electoral ballot, which accounted for only 11.36 per cent of elected candidates being women. This statistic underscores a significant gender disparity in political representation.
The Speaker said in the 8th National Assembly, seven women were represented in the Senate out of the 109 members; while 22 women were in the House of Representatives out of the 360 members.

He noted that the situation was similar in the 8th National Assembly with seven women in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives.
Abbas said: “The 10th National Assembly has seen a significant decline with only 3 women in the Senate and 16 in the House of Representatives.
“This trend indicates not only stagnation but also a regression in women’s representation within the legislative framework over these election cycles. The low level of female representation has had tangible consequences on legislative efforts aimed at promoting women’s rights.
“For instance, during these Assemblies, five proposed bills designed to enhance opportunities for women within political parties and governance were rejected.
“This rejection highlights now insufficient representation can lead to inadequate advocacy for women’s issues and rights within governmental structures.”
The Speaker noted that some of the rejected bills included; a Bill to provide special seats for women in the National Assembly; a Bill to allocate 35 percent of political positions based on appointment to women and creation of additional one seats in the National Assembly as well as the State Assemblies; a Bill for the inclusion of at least 10 per cent affirmative action in favour of women in ministerial appointments.
“However, it is necessary for me to state here that the 10th National Assembly is committed to reversing this negative trend and ensuring increased women inclusion in governance,” he noted.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Centre LSD, Monday Osasah, said Nigeria lags far behind the sub-Saharan average in relation to female political representation.
Osasah, represented by Ms. Magret Fagboro, stressed that Nigeria ranks among the 10 lowest performers, with less than four per cent female representation in the national parliament compared to countries like Rwanda (61.25 per cent), South Africa (46.1 per cent), Namibia (44.23 per cent), Senegal (38.21 per cent), Mozambique (36.86 per cent) and others.
Osasah added: “In other words, the statistical profile of women in governance in Nigeria is way out of sync with the country’s demographic sex composition; neither does it reflect the educational and professional status of Nigerian women.”