GENDER AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN RIVERS STATE, THE FOURTH REPUBLIC EXPERIENCE(A CASE STUDY OF THE 2011 GENERAL ELECTIONS

GENDER AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN RIVERS STATE, THE FOURTH REPUBLIC EXPERIENCE(A CASE STUDY OF THE 2011 GENERAL ELECTIONS

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 Background of the Study

The principles of freedom, fairness, and equality in treatment of all people, including men and women, on an equal basis, by the society, are the cornerstones of democratic governance (Nwabueze, 1993:2). (Nwabueze, 1993:2). This is due to the fact that democratic systems need a level involvement field for all participants in the political decision-making process (Sodaro, 2001). It is impossible for a society to be truly democratized without the full and active participation of women, who make up approximately half of the population in any nation. Since equitable political participation is a sine qua non for democracy (Anifowose, 2004), it is impossible for a society to be truly democratized. The incorporation of gendered viewpoints into the process of policy making is consequently essential for the continued existence of democracy. It is widely accepted that establishing gender equality is necessary for achieving development and democratic governance that provides men and women with equal opportunities to participate in decision-making, the implementation of policy, and the achievement of MDGs (Ezeilo, 2008). Despite widespread democratization in most countries and the struggle by feminist movements for the integration of gender balancing in the national politics of countries all over the world, women, who constitute about half of Nigeria's population, still remain systematically alienated from politics and the decision making process in the country. This is the case despite the fact that Nigeria is one of the world's most populous democracies (Agbalajobi, 2010 & Arowolo & Aluko, 2010).  As a result of the collapse of military rule in Nigeria and the subsequent handover of power to a civilian democratic government in 1999, the problem of women's little engagement in the country's politics has become more severe. The Nigerian government, in an effort to combat the problem of low levels of women's political participation, has ratified a number of national and international instruments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1989 and the National Policy on Women in 2000 (which was succeeded by the National Policy on Gender Equality in 2007), as well as the National Committee on Affirmative Action, the Additional Protocol to The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, and (Akiyode-Afolabi & Arogundade, 2003; Ajayi, 2007). However, despite the fact that Nigeria has undergone three consecutive democratic changes of government (1999, 2003, and 2007), gender inequalities, discrimination, and stereotypes continue to exist in all spheres of the Nigerian polity. This prevents women from developing and exercising their full human capabilities and from playing a powerful role in democratic sustainability. The goal of democratic consolidation in Nigeria cannot be achieved if the country's women, who make up about half of the population, continue to be disregarded as a national group. Because of this, it is very necessary to investigate the current state of the issue, the factors that are contributing to its worsening, and the strategies that may be used to mitigate the phenomena or promote gender parity. This article is divided into five sections for your convenience. The first portion is an introduction, while the second section is a study of the conceptual framework. The third section is an examination of gender relations as they pertain to politics in Nigeria. The methodology of the research is discussed in section four, and the next part provides an empirical analysis of the factors that contribute to this phenomenon. The policy is included in section six, which also includes some suggestions on how to improve the political engagement of women in Nigeria.

1.2  Statement of Research Problem

In 1985, the United States General Assembly had a conference in Beijing, China, during which it requested that all member nations, including Nigeria, ensure that women hold at least 30 percent of roles in governance (British Council of Nigeria, 2012). To put this another way, there should be at least thirty percent of the total number of elected officeholders in every democratic government that has ever been created who are women. To add insult to injury, representation in democratic government is impossible without active involvement in political processes. This is an additional insult. Even though this provision was established by the top body, Nigeria is still not on track to implement the thirty percent quota for female involvement in Nigerian politics. This is despite the fact that this provision was made by the apex body. As a result of this, it is of the highest significance to conduct an investigation into the degree to which the political involvement and governance of Nigeria comply to the "Affirmative Action" plan adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. According to the latest current figures, women in Nigeria make up a sizeable percentage of the country's total population. It would be anti-democratic to remove such a big portion of the population from political participation and governance, regardless of whether the exclusion was the product of planned policies or unintentional marginalization. This exclusion would be anti-democratic. Participating in politics may include a variety of activities, such as registering new voters, "flying" the flag of a political party during general elections, and freely exercising their right to vote, to name just a few examples. Gender between the sexes presents a huge barrier for women in the state of Rivers, particularly when it comes to matters of politics. This is especially true.

As a result, the purpose of this research is to investigate gender roles and political engagement in Rivers State, the fourth republic experience (using the general elections of 2011 as a case study).

1.3 Objective of the study

The general objective of the study is gender and political participation in rivers state, the fourth republic experience. The specific objective is as follows:

1. To examine the difference between male and female participation in politics in Rivers State 2011 general election.
2. To find out the disadvantages associated with the women failure in 2011 general election.
3. To identify level of women's participation in the 2011 general elections in Rivers State .
4. To investigate the reason for women's participation in politics.
5. To assess if participation of women in politics have any negative consequences society.
6. To analyze if there are hindrances to women's participation in politics.

1.4            Research Questions

1. Is there a difference in  participation in politics between male and female in Rivers State 2011 general election?
2. What are the disadvantages associated with the women failure in 2011 general election?
3. What is the level of women's participation in the 2011 general elections in Rivers State?
4. What is the reason for women's participation in politics?
5. Does participation of women in politics have any negative consequences society?
6. Are there hindrances to women's participation in politics?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

H01: The level of women's participation in the 2011 general elections in Rivers State is low.

H02: There are no hindrances to women's participation in politics in Rivers State.

1.6  Significance of the Study

Women’s participation in Rivers politics is a contentious issue in the Nigerian political life. The issue of inequality has therefore been perceived by different people especially the women folk as an attempt to erode their fundamental rights. This research work therefore will address the following:

- To proffer an enduring solution through its findings and recommendations.

-  Contribute to the bulk of knowledge in the existing literature. Nevertheless, the project will also serve as a guide to future researchers who intend to investigate in this area.

1.7  Scope of the Study

This study examines the difference in male and female participation in politics in Rivers State 2011 general election. The study also finds out the economic disadvantages associated with the women failure in 2011 general election. The study further identify level of women's participation in the 2011 general elections in Rivers State . more so the study investigate the reason for women's participation in politics. In addition, the study assess if participation of women in politics have any negative consequences society. Finally, the study analyze if there are hindrances to women's participation in politics. Hence this study is limited to women in Rivers state.

1.8 Limitation of the Study

The researcher was faced with a number of constraints in the process of carrying out this study. Some of them are discussed below:

1)      Time: Time is one limiting factor of the study. This relates to the fact that this research work is one out of a number of different courses, the researcher is pursuing for first semester examination for the final year.

2)     Inadequate Finance: The price of most of the materials needed for the study had been increased in the recent past. This constrained the researcher to strict conservation of almost everything at the expense of presenting a better work.

1.9      Definition of Terms

Gender: Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behavior, activities, and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women.

Gender Inequality: Gender inequality refers to disparity between individuals due to gender. Gender is constructed socially through social interaction as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structures and hormonal differences (Wikipedia).

Woman: Women is defined as an adult female person.

1.10 Organization of the Study

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the  review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study,  sample size determination,  sample size, abnd selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.

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