Gender representation in Nigerian politics has been a topic of discussion for years. The recent news that the number of female members of the National Assembly in Nigeria has dropped is concerning. According to reports, 11 female lawmakers lost their reelection bids, which means that the next assembly will have three fewer women than the current one.
Presently, there are 13 female lawmakers in the House of Representatives and seven in the Senate. However, all the females currently in the Senate lost their reelection bids in the last election, and only three women were elected into the chamber for the next assembly.
The late Rose Oko, who represented Cross River North Senatorial District, was also a female lawmaker before she died, but she has since been replaced by a male.
The next assembly will only have three new female members, who are Harry Banigo (PDP/Rivers), Idiat Adebule (APC/Lagos), and Ireti Kingibe (LP/FCT).
There are concerns about the low representation of women in Nigerian politics. Out of the 18 parties fielding candidates for the 2023 general elections, only one female candidate is running for president, Ojei Chichi, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement.
A total of 1,524 women are contesting in the polls, out of 4,223 candidates who contested 469 legislative positions. Out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, five did not field any woman as a candidate for the Senate, while one state did not field any woman as a candidate for the House of Representatives.
The low representation of women in Nigerian politics is not limited to the National Assembly; it is also reflected at the state level. Only 124 female governorship and deputy governorship candidates are participating in the upcoming state elections, out of 837 candidates. Also, only 1,019 women will participate in the state Houses of Assembly membership election, out of 10,231 candidates.
There is a need to address the low representation of women in Nigerian politics. Women make up half of the population, and their participation in governance is essential for democracy. Studies have shown that increasing the number of women in political positions leads to better governance, as they tend to prioritize issues that affect women, children, and vulnerable groups.
Several factors contribute to the low representation of women in Nigerian politics, including cultural and societal norms, financial constraints, and discrimination. Efforts should be made to address these factors and create an enabling environment for women to participate in politics.
Political parties should also be encouraged to field more female candidates and provide support to female candidates running for office. The Nigerian government should also consider introducing policies that will increase the number of women in politics, such as quotas for female candidates and affirmative action.
Content created and supplied by: Amazing_entity (via Opera News )
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