Gender and Women's Political Leadership in Nigeria

Abstract

Political leadership in Nigeria are stratified on the basis of gender distinction, thereby calling to question the assertion of gender neutrality in the political arena. Looking beyond the usual sex variable in a survey, this paper explores the consequences of gender and women’s political leadership in Nigeria using case studies approach to appraise the life histories of two groups of women. It takes gender as a category of analysis, recognizing the contributions feminist theorists have made. The cases observed in this study confirm the capability of Nigerian women to hold political leadership roles and to engage in decision-making activities that can affect the nation’s development. Though, more emphasis should be placed on power politics, without necessarily deemphasising alternative options such as affirmative action, it should, however, be pursued within the framework of competitive politics so that the legitimacy, effectiveness and autonomy of women in decision-making will not be compromised.