ABSTRACT
Women are always regarded as second
class citizens. They are seen as inferior to their male folks when compared.
They should be seen and never
heard. This has been the prevailing situation since ancient times as the world
is being regarded as “the world of men”.
Women in recent time have debunked the
claim of female inferiority and have since been challenging men, in all spheres
of life even they argued that: in politics, what men can do therefore, women
can do better .
This study examined the “Contribution
and Impact to National Development of Women in Nigerian Politics”.
This work is divided into five
chapters. Chapter one focused on the Introduction, Background of the Study,
Statement of the purpose, Significance, etc.
Chapter two, examined Nigerian women in
pre-colonial government such as the Unuada in the Eastern part of Nigeria, Egbe
Iyalode women as well as Funmilayo Ransome Kuti in Yoruba Society, in the Hausa land, Queen Armina of
Zazzau, women at the Grassroot Politics etc.
In chapter three, the researcher
discussed the impact of Nigerian women in politics such as Abike Dabiri-Erewa,
Ita Giwa Florence, Dame Virginia Etiaba.
In chapter four, the researcher
enumerated factors militating against women in politics.
Finally chapter five, contains, the Summary,
Conclusion and Bibliography.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Pages
Title
Page i
Certification
ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract
v
Table
of contents vi
CHAPTER
ONE
Introduction
1
Background
of the study 3
Statement
of purpose 4
Purpose
of study 4
Significance
of study 5
Research
procedure 5
Limitation
of study 6
Definition
of terms 6
CHAPTER
TWO
Literature
review 10
Nigerian Women in Pre-Colonial
Government 10
Women at the Grass Root Politics 18
Women and Corruption 21
CHAPTER
THREE
Impact
of Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Florence Ita Giwa in Nigerian Politics 25
Another
woman who participated in politics; Virginia Ngozi Etiaba 34
CHAPTER
FOUR
Factors
militating against women in politics 38
CHAPTER
FIVE
Summary
48
Conclusion 50
Bibliography
52
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
In the last couple of decades, feminist
propaganda has sought to persuade the world that women are powerless in the society,
and that men are natural oppressors of women. It claims that wives are
subordinate to their husbands in the home; and that, outside the home; men have
excluded women from political, economic culture power. This great division of
opinion among women should prompt one to ask: Which kind of claim is true?
Which picture is the illusion, and which is the reality? If the essence of
power is the ability to get what one wants, then women are far from power.
Women do get, and always did get, what they want - be it riches, or thrones, or
the head of John the Baptist, or routine exemption from hardships and risks
which their male folk are obliged to endure. That women operate by methods;
which often differ from those available to men, does not in any way mean that
women are bereft of power.
The issue of leadership is so important
in our society today that we cannot afford to make a careless choice based on
ethnic, religious belief, and gender sentiment: Everyone who has made a mark in
the world leadership today or in time past succeeded not because he or she had
a unique gender or birth.
Democracy is commitment to service at the society or a way of governing the
people through their self-choice leaders according to written or unwritten
constitution governing such a society.
Gender requires analysis because a
common outcome of the gendering of social activity is an unequal and
inefficient distribution, between men and women, of the capabilities for
realizing well-being; many, if not most
people would agree that women and girls are disadvantaged in life relative to
men and boys, even though national statistics sometimes do a poor job of capturing
the relevant inequalities.
The pervasiveness of female
disadvantage is one of the most interesting and least understood features of
economic life.
Moreover, because men govern most
nations of the world, most societies have been set up to address the need of
the male before the need of female. What about the 'sit tight' syndrome among
African leaders? The perspective of the researcher her s that God has created
the male and female equally to help each other rule over their world yet the
makes pride always come to play when issue of politics is at stake. The
question is can man be a successful leader all the time? Is man the only gender
that is perfect to play politics? Should a woman be seen in the corridor of
power? Can we say that the women are not good at politics? All these are
questions to be looked into in this research work.
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
People who seek for political office
are elected into such honorable office and sworn in after taking national oath
that binds them to that office, culture, religion and the people they are to
serve, in a short while, turn against the will of the people that elected them
into power. Could it be that the politicians deceived the people during
campaign? Or does the problem of gender arise from the new elected political
office? Was break down of constitutionaI
laws and due process built on error?
Volume has been written and spoken,
people have gone through education before taking political offices, yet a
conclusive solution is not given to abuse of office and power most especially
in African nations (where the norm is sit tight or 'the winner has it all' in
public offices) what impact has the male or female politician made in our
country (Nigeria)?
These are some of the question, the
researcher will attempt to contribute to the success of governance in our
nation Nigeria
and its controlling purpose is to look critically at the contribution and
impact of women in Nigerian politics.
STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
This misconception, ignorance and
archaic believe in our society today has put the woman off balance in her
political will. It is so bad and fearful that in politics, the idea of ethics,
ethical religion and gender complex background find it hot to the political
arena.
Another problem of this study is that
of electoral malpractices by the officials and politicians. This is common among
politicians. Since they see power as a do or die affair. Another thing is greed
that leads the elected officers into corruption and abuse of office and power
in any form or ways.
PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
This long essay intended to address
real politics in Nigeria.
·
To
access politics in line with the Nigerian cultural norms, religious and gender
case.
·
To
point out the problems and challenges that confronts Nigerian women in the
corridor of power.
·
To
access the impact of women in Nigerian politics and the rule of law.
·
To
identify the impact of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa in Nigerian politics.
·
To
point out other women that participated in Nigerian politics and the roles they
played.
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
This study is very significant and
necessary to indicate the present, potential and value of women in the corridor
of power.
The study will be important to
government, National Electoral Commission, interested women politicians and to
students of political science for further research.
It is also going to be a reference
point to academia.
RESEARCH
PROCEDURE
The research method of this study shall
be major library research, reference to books, past works of other students,
journals, lecture notes, handouts, and periodicals as they relate to issue of
women in Nigerian politics. Personal interviews, opinion sampling with group of
politicians, political scientists, and non-politicians embarked upon, will
definitely give the data needed for this project.
LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
The study is limited by time
constraint. The researcher has no enough time to carry out extensive research
work. Financial constraint was also another factor since it requires the
researcher to travel out, cost of materials, typing, binding etc, some certain
documents posed financial impediment to the researcher:
DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Politics: Political science sees “politics”
primarily as the struggle among individuals and groups to influence or control
government or a struggle among different government, or a struggle among
different governments. And it is also sad that politics is a struggle for
power.
Aristotle, a Greek political
philosopher said that man is by nature a political animal. He means that the
essence of social existence is politics and that two or more men interacting
with one another are invariably involved in a political relationship.
Aristotle concluded that the only way
to maximize ones individual capabilities and to attain the highest form of
social life, was through political interaction with others in an
institutionalized setting, designed to resolve social conflicts and to set
collective goals.
David Easton: Defined politics as the
authoritative allocation of values for a
society.
Max Weber: Also defined politics as;
the operation of the state and its institutions that is, the strive for power
or the distribution of power among individuals and groups within a state.
Oxford Advanced Learner's dictionary
defined politics as:
(a) Political affairs or life. (b) Competition
between political parties. (c) Matters concerned with acquiring or exercising
power within a group or organization.
New English Dictionary defined politics
as a science and act of government, political activities, beliefs or affairs,
factional scheming for power.
Webster's Dictionary: Science and art
of civil government, political principles or opinions; political methods.
IMPACT: violent contact, a shocking effect,
the force of a body colliding with another to force tightly together to hit
with force. (New English Dictionary)
Webster's Dictionary: Collision or
impulse resulting there from Oxford Advanced Learner's dictionary defined
impact as:
(a) A strong impression or effect on
something (b) the action of one object hitting another especially with force.
(Verb) To press or fix something firmly.
Oxford Advanced Learner's, dictionary
defined Woman as:
(plural is women) (a) an adult female
human being (b) Female lover or girl friend (c) The female sex (d) a, female
worker or woman under the authority of somebody
Webster s Dictionary: Adult human
female; female sex.
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