WOMENS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF KOGI CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT)

Abstract 

This study investigates the factors that limit women’s participation in Nigeria’s politics using as a case study, the period between 2011 and 2016, with emphasis on Kogi central senatorial district. Among these factors are socioeconomic development, the country’s cultural heritage, historical legacies and institutional designs. The study engages both primary and secondary sources, including field survey and questionnaire. A total of 100 women were selected from the senatorial district through simple random sampling for the administration of the questionnaires. The data  generated  were  analyzed  and computed  based on the two  hypotheses  using, Chi-square  and  Simple  Percentage  statistical techniques. The  Statistical  Package  for  Social  Sciences  (SPSS  version 15.0)  was used in  computing  these  statistical techniques. The study reveals that Socio-economic developmental factors have significant influence on women’s political participation in Kogi central senatorial district. It also revealed that there is no significant increase in women political participation in Kogi central senatorial district between the periods under review.  Various recommendations were made based on the findings among such are the need for NGOs to sensitize the women on the importance of participating in party politics; amending both political party manifestos and the Nigerian constitution to give equal chances to women and men as well as using economic  empowerment strategies  at the  level  of  policy-decisions  and policy framework to improve  lives  of  poor  women and men in equal  measure as this will encourage more women in party politics.