 Published
December 2nd, 2010
Nigeria has had 50 years of independence and 10 years of
democracy, yet gender inequality in politics remains
persistent. How long will it take our country to realize
that without an adequate representation of women in the
National Assembly, the full measure of society cannot be
said to be reflected in public policy. In any inclusive
democracy, political power is perhaps the strongest tool to
eliminate all forms of inequality yet we have not taken
advantage of this. It is time to not only get more women to
take part in the political process but also to get them
involved at an earlier stage in life so they can see this as
a viable career choice. My recent experience in November
2010 with the Women in House Program run by McGill
University in Quebec, Canada, informs the proposals
presented in this article.
According to
data compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in September
2010, Nigeria ranks 117th on the world scale of
gender inequality in politics out of a possible 186
countries. This statistic reveals the lack of interest of
the government in improving Nigeria’s democracy through
investing in processes that allow for the inclusion of the
opinions and perceptions of women. Even worse is the reality
that countries not renowned for their achievements in gender
equity rank much higher than we do. For example, Iraq,
Angola, and Sudan, all countries where securing basic human
rights for women remains a major concern elect far more
women than Nigeria. This matter has become urgent.
It is no
accident that Nigerian women are not getting the legislation
they need. The UN mandates that women need 33%
representation for their voices to be heard; thus, with
women’s representation in the Nigerian parliament at 0.05%
today, Nigeria is failing its women. Women in Nigeria
constitute approximately 49% of the population, yet as
stated we only have 0.05% representation in both houses. No
country can afford to ignore the skills and talents of half
its population. Although the illiteracy levels of women are
worse than that of men with 60% of the illiterate population
being women, we still need to consider that on the literate
end, 41% are women and 63% men yet these statistics are also
not reflected in Parliament. Rather than wait on the snail
pace initiatives of the government, it is high time we
invest in civil society initiatives to address this issue.
Currently, the
government-led Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) is one
initiative that could possibly have a positive impact on
women’s representation in parliament; but, will this reform
be ready before the upcoming 2011 general elections? The
work of NGO’s such as Gender for Affirmative Action (GAA) is
remarkable as far as the ERC is concerned. Their pressure on
the government to mobilize women, create gender sensitive
policies that foster women’s participation, and their push
for the implementation of the ERC, are all commendable.
However, with nearly three – quarters of Nigeria’s
population under the age of 30, special attention should be
given also to the involvement of young women in politics. We
need to motivate and encourage them to see politics as a
feasible career choice since this is very important for
changing the face of politics in the near future.
Created in 2001, the
Women in House Program undertaken by McGill University in
Quebec, Canada, is one of such model initiatives that we
should learn from. The goals and achievements of this
program are commendable despite being a small student run
program with a very limited budget. The Women in House
program focuses on encouraging the participation of young
women in politics through fostering a desire and enthusiasm
for Canadian politics among young women.
For two fully
subsidized days, thirty – five of us female students visited
Parliament in Ottawa, Ontario where we got an opportunity to
shadow female Members of Parliament (MP’s) and Senators in
order to share in their experiences and understand the
challenges these women face in a male dominated sphere. On
the first day, besides touring parliament, and observing
question period, panel discussions were held with different
MP’s and Senators on issues including, the difficulty of
financing one’s candidacy, the importance of networking with
other women, the importance of having women in parliament,
and current policy debates such as the implementation of a
quota system that could aid in having more women in
parliament. Towards the end of the day, one of the female
MP’s emphasized the importance of sharing with others all we
had learnt that day; “it’s all about breaking the silence”
she said. Speaking out lets others know that the status quo
where women are underrepresented is not okay.
On the second day we
got an opportunity to shadow our assigned parliamentarians.
This included attending committee meetings and press
conferences with them; doing research on various issues;
assisting with office duties, and observing the debacle of
question period from a VIP restricted area. This gave us
unparalleled insight into the hectic lives of women in
parliament. Albeit a very challenging career choice, the
opportunity to effect real change in the lives of Canadians,
and more specifically in the lives of members of their
individual constituencies, gave them the determination and
boldness necessary to embark on such a career. Something
that struck a chord in me was the statement made by a female
MP to us that evening: “the people you see in parliament
were not necessarily groomed for office; I am confident that
all of you here are all eminently qualified even without
knowing you personally.” With a good education and genuine
interest in politics we young women could very well become
parliamentarians; it does not take any special gene that
only men possess. These words were truly empowering as many
of us on the bus ride back keenly discussed ways in which we
would get involved politically upon returning home.
The successes of this
program are truly remarkable. This mere two day program has
served as a stepping stone for many alumni of the program
since some have become staffers on Parliament Hill following
this experience. Of greater importance is the fact that this
program continues to raise awareness on the importance of
getting more young women involved in politics. Lastly, this
program continues to ignite a passion for politics in those
fortunate enough to participate. This experience inspired my
new personal motto - ‘apathy is boring.’
Some might
ask, what is the importance of having women in politics
anyway? Well, the short answer to that is two-fold. Firstly,
it is our inherent right. In a democracy, parliament should
be representative of the population for which it represents;
thus we need to see close to half of those in the National
Assembly be women. Secondly, key issues of importance to
women are more than often ignored simply because there is no
one there to advocate on their behalf. These issues include
but are not limited to pay equity, employment equity,
childcare funding, and abortion rights. Furthermore, they
not only bring to light gender issues, but can also offer
gender perspectives into all areas of political life.
In conclusion, the lack
of representation of women in parliament is not an
‘interest’ issue but an ‘action’ problem. More needs to be
done to encourage women’s involvement in politics and to
enable them see this as a viable career choice. Rather than
wait on the government, civil society – led initiatives such
as the relatively inexpensive Women in House Program need to
be invested in. As Nancy Peckford of Equal Voice told us
during our visit to Parliament, ‘if you won’t be her, then
you have to support her.’ This is a call to both female and
male parliamentarians, as well as others in powerful
positions to invest in such initiatives so we can put an end
to this unjust silence.
Sandra Aigbinode
BA Political Science
BA Criminal Justice and Public Policy
MA Candidate in Political Science
McGill University Montreal, Canada.
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