The Roles Of Women In Politics As Well As The Prospects And Constraints Of Their Participation In Politics

The Roles Of Women In Politics As Well As The Prospects And Constraints Of Their Participation In Politics

Chapter One

General Introduction

Background To The Study

In utmost societies, women haven’t been accorded the freedom to similar effects like attending the same seminaries as men, possessed property or admit equal pay for equal work. Women are look upon as alternate class citizens, they’re frequently not allowed to share in decision making indeed in matters concerning them. Participation in politics is taken to mean the involvement of women in both decision making bodies like the Administrative and Legislative institutions. This exploration isn’t intended to prove that women are superior to men nor is it intended to portray women as having a desire to take the place of men, far from it. Women are mortal beings in their own rights and as similar have made substantial and meaningful benefactions in the society. The United Nations in recognition of the rights of women declared 1975 – 1985 as decade for women which was devoted to the subject of equivalency in political participation and decision timber which was espoused by the 40th session of the UN General Assembly Resolution40/108 on December 13th,1982.1 Before also, on 10th December, 1974, the United Nations called for an transnational action programme for a short and long term measures in achieving the integration of women as full mates and equal mates in an trouble and step to exclude gender base demarcation. To strengthen this, the 8th of March, 1992 was declared International Women’s Day and was observed by the United Nations for its First time. The 8th of March, every time is set aside by the United Nations General Assembly to member countries to reflect on the benefactions made by women in different fields of public development.

In joining other nations to borrow the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Demarcation Against Women, Kaduna state government affirms its support for the relief of multitudinous constraints on women. combined sweats were made by consecutive governments to legislate laws towards the halting of all forms of bottle neck against women participation in politics. Right from the First Republic Kaduna State women have braced up against all odds and decided to take the bull by the cornucopia, to square up with the men. Also in the Second Republic, the likes of Gambo Sawaba, Angelina Jaja, Mary Dogo etc. were women that shared laboriously in Kaduna State politics. also, the Third and Fourth Democracy saw a massive participation of Kaduna State women in politics which we shall come to see. Some prominent Kaduna State women were always on the vanguard for the observance of the International Women’s Day( 8th of March every time) to add colour to this periodic occasion among who were Marina Mohammed was a Nigerian former Ambassador to Zambia,Hon. Saudatu Sani, was president House Committee on Women Affairs and Youth Development in the National Assembly, Hon Florence Aya was Chairperson Zonal Working group on Child’s Right and Mrs. Maria Dogo Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs Kaduna State House of assmebly. 2

It has come necessary to give this elaborate preamble so that we understand how far women in Nigeria and Kaduna State in particular had gone towards taking their due places in politics. This exploration provides the places of women in Kaduna State politics for better understanding, this work is divided into five intriguing chapters viz General preface, History of Kaduna State, Women and Kaduna State politics 1999 – 2015, some notable women in Kaduna State politics and lots of issues that shall be bandied as sub motifs.

Statement Of The Exploration Problem

In Kaduna State women constitute further than half of the total population and form a critical portion of enhancing democratization of political system in the state. still, available data indicates that they’re deficiently represented in political positions. The possible explanation for this script could be that gender issues in electoral politics haven’t entered due attention and requital. This gives their manly counterpart an edge over them. Women are always rejected to the perimeters of political leadership, burden with guilt. Women are doubled marginalized first because they’re women and secondly, because they’re politicians. constantly, political information is withheld from women, for case in the 2003 General choices numerous women applicants were locked out at the nomination stage. In their public and private lives, women have to struggle to articulate their solicitations and to make their voices be heard.

For a long time, women have been marginalized and seen as people who can not politically stand their own, but have to be propped by men. Though a many experimenters have in recent history began to validate on women’s participation in politics, similar attestation has not concentrated on factors that affects women’s participation in electoral politics. The purpose of this study is thus to probe into the places of women in politics with emphasis on Kaduna State in a shot to come up with possible strategies that be used to enhance their participation.

Aim And Objects

The end of this exploration is to examine the places of women in Kaduna State politics as well as the prospects and constraints of their participation in politics.

Ideal

a) To give an elucidative picture of Kaduna State women in politics during the period of our study 1999 – May, 2015.

b) To give an sapience into the achievements and challenges women encountered in politics.

c) To bandy the impacts of the participation of Kaduna State Women in politics.

d) To present how the society view women’s participation in politics

Significance And Apologies Of The Study

It has been observed that since before the creation of what came to be known as Nigeria moment and with the attainment of independence women were fully abandoned and lagged behind in the affairs of governance in all situations. utmost gender studies tend to concentrate on men and their benefactions thereby relegating women to the background. Women places are vanquished which that of men is honored. This exploration is significant because it’ll bring to light information obscured from public knowledge about women and politics in Kaduna State. It’ll also show how women played their places effectively to support the state and the nation at large.

Compass And Limitations Of The Study

This is a exploration into the position of women participation in Kaduna State politics between the period 1999 – May, 2015. One of the reasons for dating this work 1999 – May, 2015, it coincided with the Fourth Republic which marked a turning point in women political participation. The period witnessed an increase in women’s participation in active politics. The limitations could be associated with time, coffers( finance), the exploration was carried out at the same time attending my lectures. Also there are many accoutrements ( literatures) that were written on the content under consideration. In addition, difficulties in conducting interviews as some snitchers weren’t ready or not willing to grant an interview.

Exploration Methodology

This study involves the use of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are first hand information of the event under study, it could be a document that contains information attained from experience or observation but not taken from other books, document or journals where the pens ’ has taken from other sources. Other written sources that were consulted include Biographies, Government and Administrative Records, Journals, Handbooks and Memos. In addition, oral interviews. All these sources were subordinated to rigorous analysis, scrutiny and evaluation in order to establish their authority/ authenticity and utility in the study.

Theoretical Frame

Feminism as a conception offers an applicable frame for this study on women participation in politics in Nigeria and Kaduna State in particular. Feminist believes that women have equal political, social, intellectual and profitable rights as men. It’s a conception that started in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Europe.3 Feminist aspiration have been expressed in societies dating back to ancient China, they under projected by a developed political proposition until the publication of Mary Wollostone Craft’s( the mama of Feminism) named “ A exculpation of the Rights of Women 1972 ’’.4 Indeed it wasn’t until the emergence of the Women’s franchise movement in the 1840s and 1850s that feminist ideas reached a wider followership, in form of so- called first surge feminism.5 The achievement of womanish franchise in utmost western countries in the early twentieth century deprived the women’s movement of its central thing and organizing principle. Alternate surge feminism, still, surfaced in 1960s. This expressed the more radical and occasionally revolutionary demands of the Women’s Liberation Movement( WLM).6 Feminist scholars maintain that the description of what’s applicable to the study of transnational relations as presented in handbooks and other education written by men, is a product of the manly point of view and ignores or misrepresents the part of women, their concern and their perspective.7 Feminist propositions and doctrines are different, but their unifying point is a common desire to enhance, through whatever means, the social part of women.8

In a nutshell, feminism is an testament committed to promoting the social part of women and in utmost cases devoted to the thing of gender equivalency. The underpinning themes of feminism are thus, first, that society is characterized by sexual or gender inequality and second, that this structure of manly power can and should be linked.9 There are colorful sexistse.g,

liberal sexists, social sexists, and radical sexists.

Literature Review

This entails a review of workshop that are related to the content and the subject matter of this exploration. It discusses the living workshop related to the exploration pointing out their strengths and sins where similar workshop have been of benefit to the exploration as well as where the exploration will be useful in filling the gaps of similar workshop.

Joy N. Ezeilo in her book Women and Children’s right, she talked about women and children rights. She started the book by citing the UN protestation of Women’s Right. She looked at women’s right in transnational arena and also bandied the problems of women right in Nigeria similar as profitable, political, legal, social and artistic factors. She concluded the book by encouraging individualities andNon-Governmental Associations( NGOs) to continue their struggles for creation and protection of women’s right.10 The applicability of the book to this exploration is, it informs individualities about rights of women and the right which women should be given. It still failed to mentioned that some women have risen above similar walls, plodded and made some progress in achieving their rights.

Kennedy Aniemeka Ogbuani’s book is another work that contributes immensely to the exploration. In the book, the pen bandied the term superiority and how some women despite all odds triumph. He started by agitating manly domination in some spheres of life and the station of men towards women. He made mentioned of women who made positive impacts at the world position similar as Margret Tharcher who impacted appreciatively to the profitable greatness of Great Britain and other transnational numbers like Indira Ghandi, Corazon Aquino of Philipnes, Benazir Bhuto of Pakistan and Magdaline Albright ofUSA.11