Home > Gender, Women's Studies > Vol 1 No 1 June 2013 Abstract 4
The Role of Women in Nigerian Politics: Addressing the Gender Question for an Enhanced Political Representation in the Fourth Republic
Erunke, Canice Esidene; Shuaibu Umar Abdul
International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, 1(1), pp. 45-55.

Abstract
This paper is an exploration of the role of women in the Nigerian politics. The inferiority complex of women regarding active political participation and representation constitute the bane of this study. However, it was argued by Karl Marx that the inferiority nature of women generally, was a function of chauvinistic nature of men to perpetuate their domination on them in all ramifications. This gender bias in Nigeria’s political system is often traced to the onset of colonialism in Nigeria. Thus the western cultural notion of colonialism woven around male superiority reflected in their relations with Nigerians. The authors adopted both conceptual and theoretical analysis of issues on political participation and representation, to ascertain how women are generally dominated by men in the scheme of things. The most critical element of this discourse is however that women are, and have been sidelined in the political scheme of things in Nigeria and this state of affairs spells a dangerous omen for the Nigerian system which is now literally dominated and controlled by men. In the past, experience has shown, of course as demonstrated in the study, that women’s political roles have contributed immensely in the shaping of the Nigerian politics not only in democratic governance; but also during the pre-colonial era.

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Erunke, Canice Esidene. & Abdul, Umar Shuaibu. (2013). The Role of Women in Nigerian Politics: Addressing the Gender Question for an Enhanced Political Representation in the Fourth Republic. International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, 1(1), pp. 45-55.