Supporting Women’s Political Rights to Participation and Inclusion

Traditional and Cultural practices, belief systems etc have continued to reinforce wave of patriarchal sentiment and beliefs that have seen women’s poor representation in political institutions, processes and governance in Nigeria. Since the country’s Independence till date, no female has ever been elected as President in the Country. The same applies at the sub-national governance, where out of thirty-six states of the of the Federation, no woman has ever been a Governor of any, since inception of the country till date. This poor inclusion and representation of women continues to persist manifesting as glaringly also in the nation’s parliaments at the national and State levels , where some State parliamentary chambers at some point in time, does not have a single female member. This is despite the enourmous potentials and capacities women posses in leadership.
 
The Gender Action Transformative Initiative, of the Foundation has embarked on works at some of the identified inherent barriers to women’s exercise of their political Rights in Nigeria, towards shoring up their place in the polity and improving women’s representation in political spaces.