The Maroon Gaze

  INTRODUCTION    Gender inequality refers to the unequal treatment, or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. Gender inequality in political representation has been a persistent and critical challenge of Nigeria’s democratic governance since the return of the nation to civilian rule in 1999. Despite different provisions of the constitution serving as constitutional guarantees and safeguards for the political rights of Nigerian citizens, women still remain significantly 'under-represented' the in Legislative Houses at both Federal and State levels.    In the 10th National Assembly, women hold fewer than 5% of seats, a level far below global averages and regional benchmarks for democratic unbiased inclusion. [1] As a response, the National Assembly introduced a constitution-alteration measure commonly referred to as, 'the Special Seats Bill', designed to increase female representation through the creation of additional elective positions exclusively...

  Introduction AND BACKGROUND: Gender inequality continues to shape many aspects of Nigeria’s social and political life, and one of the clearest places this imbalance appears is in political representation. Although women make up roughly half of the country’s population and contribute significantly to national development, their presence in political offices remains very low. Over the years, Nigeria has adopted constitutional principles of equality and has also aligned itself with international agreements that promote women’s rights and inclusion. Yet, in practice, women still face serious barriers when it comes to participating in politics and holding legislative power. This gap between formal equality and actual representation raises important questions about how democratic Nigeria truly is and how inclusive its political institutions are. Politics in Nigeria has long been dominated by men, not simply by coincidence but as a result of deep cultural traditions, economic disadvan...