Dinidari Foundation in partnership with UN Women and Norwegian Embassy over the weekend released a comprehensive report on women’s political participation in Nigeria.
The study was conducted in Plateau and Kaduna states.
Executive Director, Dinidari Foundation, Ndi Bala identified equal participation and leadership of Women in political and public life as a key component to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) by 2030’.
The report stated that despite strategies to ensure Nigerian women’s inclusiveness in politics there has been a steady decline from the 2011 and 2015 data for the house of representatives.
The study had 4 parties in both states (Kaduna and Plateau), identified to best fit the criteria to be assessed.
The parties were the APC, LP, NNPP, and PDP, with a total of 75 Respondents reached from the State capital and the three senatorial districts in each State.
Findings however revealed that the average duration of party membership for the women in politics assessed was 10 years for both States, implying there have been active women In the political space for over a 10 year period, as such there has been the opportunity for the parties in the State to put forward women candidates over the last 10 years.
“The 2023 elections for Kaduna had less women candidates. than the 2019 elections in the 4 parties,and the Plateau fielded fewer women in proportion to its total electoral candidates for 3 parties than the 2019 estimates.”
Furthermore, key barriers to women’s political participation in Plateau include discrimination by men, lack of finance, poor leadership skills, Lack of cooperation among women and Cultural religious and economic barriers.
Similarly, Women Leaders in Kaduna State identified funding, how to convince women to engage in politics, lack of cooperation among members, neglect of women (non-inclusion) in party affairs as major barriers.
However, the foundation recommended that women leader positions in Nigeria need to be entrenched in all parties and its roles expanded to accommodate such activities that relate to advocacy within the party on issues of particular concern to women constituents and women party members to increase women membership.
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