An Analysis of Nigerian Women's Score Card in 2015 Polls

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to critically review the recently concluded 2015 general elections in the country and to assess how women who contested in elective positions fared. This is because Women participation in politics in Nigeria is a thing of concern to development experts and gender activists who have continuously advocate their active participation to help address their continuous low record of representation. The result of the just concluded 2015 elections in the country has however, not shown improved women representation in elective positions in the country. This came in spite of the 35 percent affirmative action and the huge campaign of the Women for Change Initiatives aimed at providing a soft landing for women in the elections. It surveys in retrospect activities of women in the pre and post-2015 politics in Nigeria using questionnaire and interviews to source information. The results suggest that women do not often receive the support and mentoring they need to compete with their male counterparts in politics. The study concludes by positing that voters do not fully appreciate the benefits of having a mix of men and Women in government, often saying that women are over-ambitious when they aim for any position higher than a seat in the Senate. It also offers recommendations towards solving the identified traditional and social factors that inhibit women from political office.