Looking at political events in
Nigeria from 1960 to date, the participation of women has remained
appalling; what many women will prefer to call a “total let-down”.
Despite the yearning of many women groups, they only got some form of
recognition with the coming of the democratic dispensation.
Different reasons, though, have been given for the fractional involvement of women in politics. While some are of the opinion that they can hardly muster the required strength to weather the storm of politics, others say religious and cultural factors have limited their political advancement over the years. With the coming of the era of ‘affirmative action’ and the granting of the 35 per cent participation in governance, calls are rife for higher stakes in the running of the nation. Many are beginning to think that the emergence of a woman as president may happen sooner than many have envisaged, especially given the colossal failure of the men folk in offering decent leadership. ANDREW ESSIEN, PAUL CHIAMA and HAUWA MAHMUD MADUGU write.
With the increasing demand for gender equality in Nigeria and the rest of the world, pockets of Nigerian woman politicians have continually eyed the seat of the president, in Nigeria’s case, the Aso Villa. They have been emboldened by the 35 per cent affirmative action and, with more determination, could realise what has been considered a ‘tall’ aspiration.
The debate over the emergence of a woman has become stronger, with the polls drawing ever closer.
The 2011 presidential primaries witnessed the participation of Mrs Sarah Jibril as a presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Even though Jibril could not scale past the party primary, having lost to Goodluck Jonathan, her courage was commended. Today, she is one of the aides (on ethics and values) to Jonathan, the man who went on to become president.
The electioneering campaigns for 2015 have brought up two daring, spirited woman politicians gunning for the presidency – Akasoba Duke-Abiola, who sprang up within the PDP but lost to Goodluck who was the party’s concensus candidate and the KOWA Party’s Prof Remi Sonaiya, who is strenuously and painstakingly working hard to gather support as she leads her party in the March 28 presidential election.
But what are the chances for Sonaiya and what factors may affect her in this contest that has the potential of affecting other female presidential aspirants?
The executive director, Centre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa (CSDEA), Theophilus Ekpon, pointed out to LEADERSHIP Friday that it would be a welcome development to have a woman president in Nigeria “for the sake of gender equality”.
According to Ekpon, men and women are supposed to have equal liberty to aspire for any office at all levels, including the presidency. He commended the 35 per cent affirmative action recorded under President Jonathan as a way of addressing gender equality.
Ekpon, who also doubles as the national coordinator of the National Peace Summit Group (NPSG), believes that women in politics should build their political base from the grassroots; a factor which will offer them viable opportunities to aspire for the House of Representatives, senatorial and governorship seats – in that order – before aspiring for the presidency. This, he thinks can generate a good track record to build upon for the bigger contest.
Ekpon itemised poor grassroots orientation, poor networking, lack of the necessary funds to carry out a detailed and extensive presidential campaign, weak political structure, amongst others, as the barriers standing between women politicians – no matter how spirited – and their dream to be president.
Three-time presidential aspirant and People Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Prof Andrawus Sawa, also weighed in on the issue.
Sawa does not consider that women should be given some advantage because of their gender. Rather, the need for the courage and political will to deliver good leadership should be paramount on the considerations’ list.
“Nigerian politics is more money-driven, rather than credibility-inclined. As long as that continues, women will not have a chance,” he stated flatly.
Sawa also argued that, as long as corruption is endemic and some of the female politicians do not have the resources to meet all demands or resist vices, it equally makes it difficult for them to advance their aspirations. He dismissed culture as a possible factor affecting the emergence of a female president in Aso Rock. According to him, Nigeria’s cultural setting is not different from that of Liberia and the Central African Republic, countries which are currently ruled by women.
For member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ayo Omidiran,“the environment we find ourselves here is the reason. Even positions that are not [as high as that of] the president does not attract lots of women. Even those who dare to come out, how many of them make it? The environment we find ourselves here is not conducive for full participation of women in politics. They have reduced us to appointments seekers although that is still a step up the ladder.
“It’s a man’s world here in Nigeria. Let’s not deceive ourselves. If they gang up against you, you are not going anywhere. You are talking of the post of president which is an elective post. To be elected, there are certain steps you have to take. How many women have even dared to contest for lower positions? To be elected, you must first get the ticket. Even when you get the ticket, you’ll see three other women up against 10 men and, at the end of the day, they all gang up. So, it is very difficult for women.
“The issue is not capacity-related; it is support-related. Candidly, if we had more women in the position of authority in this country, we will not be adrift as we are now. When you appoint people, they only show loyalty to you. When you elect someone, the person knows that his/her loyalty lies with the people.”
In an interview with Mrs Imaobong Essien, a grass-root mobiliser and women leader, she pointed out that the problem runs deeper than the eye can see.
“When the party programmes, strategies and tactics are drawn and policies of the party take place, the women are not involved. They are pushed aside to cater for the women’s wing and this amounts to the fact that they are not deemed fit to take part in the day-to-day running of the party except they are in a separate section.
“Also, any woman who attempts to break the ‘rule’ and comes out to contest, especially in some parts of the north, is seen as a non-conformist and treated with scorn even by women. This is besides the fact that she may not even be able to mobilise enough resources to compete with the male counterparts since the politics is often heavily ‘monetised’ and women are always economically disadvantaged.”
Countries With Female Presidents Kosovo – President Atifete Jahjaga
President Atifete Jahjaga is the incumbent president of Kosovo. She was elected on April 7, 2011, after the completion of the first round of voting. She was voted for by 80 of the 100-member parliaments, giving her a landslide victory. Her country had never had a president emerge after the first round of voting.
In 2012, Jahjaga hosted an International Women’s Summit with the theme “Partnership for Change—Empowering Women,” which was attended by 200 leaders from Kosovo, Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East.
Brazil – Dilma Vana Rousseff
The 68-year-old is the 36th and current president of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. From 2005 to 2010, she served as the chief of staff of former president Luiz Inácio Lula, a period that has exposed her to the realities of her country’s politics.
Rousseff became a socialist during her youth and, following the 1964 coup d’état, joined various left-wing and Marxist urban guerrilla groups.
Switzerland – Simonetta Sommaruga
Sommaruga is a Swiss politician of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland. She is a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the federal government of Switzerland and head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (the Swiss version of the justice minister). She served as Vice President of the Swiss Confederation in 2014 and, in 2015, succeeded to the role of president.
Lithuania – Dalia Grybauskaitė
The 59-year-old Grybauskaite was inaugurated on July 12, 2009. She re-contested and was re-elected in May 2014. She is her country’s first woman president and the first to be elected for a second-term.
She was vice-minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance, as well as European Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget from 2004 to 2009. She is often referred to as the “Iron Lady” or the “Steel Magnolia”.
Liberia – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Born 29 October 1938, Sirleaf is the Liberia’s 24th president. She served as minister of finance under President William Tolbert from 1979 until the 1980 coup d’état, after which she left Liberia to hold senior positions at various financial institutions. She won the 2005 presidential election and took office on January 16, 2006. In 2011, she was a successful candidate for re-election. Sirleaf is the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Argentine – Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner
The 52nd president of Argentina and widow of former president Néstor Kirchner is the second woman to serve as Argentine president after Isabel Martínez de Perón who ruled from 1974 to 1976. A member of the Justicialist Party, Fernández served one term as national deputy and three terms as National Senator for both Santa Cruz and Buenos Aires provinces.
South Korea – Park Geun-hye
Park Geun-hye is the 11th and current president of South Korea. She is the first woman to be elected president in South Korea and is serving her 18th presidential term. She is also the first female head of state in the modern history of Northeast Asia. Prior to her presidency, she was the chairwoman of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) between 2004 and 2006 and between 2011 and 2012.
Central African Republic – Catherine Samba-Panza
The 61-year-old Catherine Samba-Panza is the interim president of the Central African Republic (CAR). She was sworn in as president on January 23, 2014. She is the first woman to hold the post. Prior to becoming the head of state, Samba-Panza was appointed Mayor of Bangui from May 2013.
Chile – Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Another country being led by a female president is Chile, where Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria, a Socialist Party politician holds sway as president. She came to power on March 11, 2014. Before ascending to the exalted seat, she previously served as president from 2006 to 2010, becoming the first woman in her country to do so. After leaving the presidency, she was appointed the first executive director of the newly created United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). In December 2013, Bachelet was re-elected as President of Chile with over 62 per cent of the vote, surpassing the 53.5 per cent she obtained in 2006. She is the first person since 1932 to win the presidency of Chile twice in competitive elections.
Thatcher: The Iron Lady Of Britain And Her Contributions to the nation
She was Britain’s first woman and the longest-serving Premier of the 20th century. A dominant leader of note who, rather than conform to consensus views, was prepared to say and repeat “no”, and very loudly too. “This lady is not for turning,” she once famously intoned. So strict was she that cabinet colleagues had to turn on her to secure her removal in 1990. Margret Thatcher; arguably, was the twentieth century’s most powerful woman who shaped not only the politics of Great Britain, but many other nations.
Different reasons, though, have been given for the fractional involvement of women in politics. While some are of the opinion that they can hardly muster the required strength to weather the storm of politics, others say religious and cultural factors have limited their political advancement over the years. With the coming of the era of ‘affirmative action’ and the granting of the 35 per cent participation in governance, calls are rife for higher stakes in the running of the nation. Many are beginning to think that the emergence of a woman as president may happen sooner than many have envisaged, especially given the colossal failure of the men folk in offering decent leadership. ANDREW ESSIEN, PAUL CHIAMA and HAUWA MAHMUD MADUGU write.
With the increasing demand for gender equality in Nigeria and the rest of the world, pockets of Nigerian woman politicians have continually eyed the seat of the president, in Nigeria’s case, the Aso Villa. They have been emboldened by the 35 per cent affirmative action and, with more determination, could realise what has been considered a ‘tall’ aspiration.
The debate over the emergence of a woman has become stronger, with the polls drawing ever closer.
The 2011 presidential primaries witnessed the participation of Mrs Sarah Jibril as a presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Even though Jibril could not scale past the party primary, having lost to Goodluck Jonathan, her courage was commended. Today, she is one of the aides (on ethics and values) to Jonathan, the man who went on to become president.
The electioneering campaigns for 2015 have brought up two daring, spirited woman politicians gunning for the presidency – Akasoba Duke-Abiola, who sprang up within the PDP but lost to Goodluck who was the party’s concensus candidate and the KOWA Party’s Prof Remi Sonaiya, who is strenuously and painstakingly working hard to gather support as she leads her party in the March 28 presidential election.
But what are the chances for Sonaiya and what factors may affect her in this contest that has the potential of affecting other female presidential aspirants?
The executive director, Centre for Sustainable Development and Education in Africa (CSDEA), Theophilus Ekpon, pointed out to LEADERSHIP Friday that it would be a welcome development to have a woman president in Nigeria “for the sake of gender equality”.
According to Ekpon, men and women are supposed to have equal liberty to aspire for any office at all levels, including the presidency. He commended the 35 per cent affirmative action recorded under President Jonathan as a way of addressing gender equality.
Ekpon, who also doubles as the national coordinator of the National Peace Summit Group (NPSG), believes that women in politics should build their political base from the grassroots; a factor which will offer them viable opportunities to aspire for the House of Representatives, senatorial and governorship seats – in that order – before aspiring for the presidency. This, he thinks can generate a good track record to build upon for the bigger contest.
Ekpon itemised poor grassroots orientation, poor networking, lack of the necessary funds to carry out a detailed and extensive presidential campaign, weak political structure, amongst others, as the barriers standing between women politicians – no matter how spirited – and their dream to be president.
Three-time presidential aspirant and People Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Prof Andrawus Sawa, also weighed in on the issue.
Sawa does not consider that women should be given some advantage because of their gender. Rather, the need for the courage and political will to deliver good leadership should be paramount on the considerations’ list.
“Nigerian politics is more money-driven, rather than credibility-inclined. As long as that continues, women will not have a chance,” he stated flatly.
Sawa also argued that, as long as corruption is endemic and some of the female politicians do not have the resources to meet all demands or resist vices, it equally makes it difficult for them to advance their aspirations. He dismissed culture as a possible factor affecting the emergence of a female president in Aso Rock. According to him, Nigeria’s cultural setting is not different from that of Liberia and the Central African Republic, countries which are currently ruled by women.
For member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ayo Omidiran,“the environment we find ourselves here is the reason. Even positions that are not [as high as that of] the president does not attract lots of women. Even those who dare to come out, how many of them make it? The environment we find ourselves here is not conducive for full participation of women in politics. They have reduced us to appointments seekers although that is still a step up the ladder.
“It’s a man’s world here in Nigeria. Let’s not deceive ourselves. If they gang up against you, you are not going anywhere. You are talking of the post of president which is an elective post. To be elected, there are certain steps you have to take. How many women have even dared to contest for lower positions? To be elected, you must first get the ticket. Even when you get the ticket, you’ll see three other women up against 10 men and, at the end of the day, they all gang up. So, it is very difficult for women.
“The issue is not capacity-related; it is support-related. Candidly, if we had more women in the position of authority in this country, we will not be adrift as we are now. When you appoint people, they only show loyalty to you. When you elect someone, the person knows that his/her loyalty lies with the people.”
In an interview with Mrs Imaobong Essien, a grass-root mobiliser and women leader, she pointed out that the problem runs deeper than the eye can see.
“When the party programmes, strategies and tactics are drawn and policies of the party take place, the women are not involved. They are pushed aside to cater for the women’s wing and this amounts to the fact that they are not deemed fit to take part in the day-to-day running of the party except they are in a separate section.
“Also, any woman who attempts to break the ‘rule’ and comes out to contest, especially in some parts of the north, is seen as a non-conformist and treated with scorn even by women. This is besides the fact that she may not even be able to mobilise enough resources to compete with the male counterparts since the politics is often heavily ‘monetised’ and women are always economically disadvantaged.”
Countries With Female Presidents Kosovo – President Atifete Jahjaga
President Atifete Jahjaga is the incumbent president of Kosovo. She was elected on April 7, 2011, after the completion of the first round of voting. She was voted for by 80 of the 100-member parliaments, giving her a landslide victory. Her country had never had a president emerge after the first round of voting.
In 2012, Jahjaga hosted an International Women’s Summit with the theme “Partnership for Change—Empowering Women,” which was attended by 200 leaders from Kosovo, Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East.
Brazil – Dilma Vana Rousseff
The 68-year-old is the 36th and current president of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. From 2005 to 2010, she served as the chief of staff of former president Luiz Inácio Lula, a period that has exposed her to the realities of her country’s politics.
Rousseff became a socialist during her youth and, following the 1964 coup d’état, joined various left-wing and Marxist urban guerrilla groups.
Switzerland – Simonetta Sommaruga
Sommaruga is a Swiss politician of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland. She is a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the federal government of Switzerland and head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (the Swiss version of the justice minister). She served as Vice President of the Swiss Confederation in 2014 and, in 2015, succeeded to the role of president.
Lithuania – Dalia Grybauskaitė
The 59-year-old Grybauskaite was inaugurated on July 12, 2009. She re-contested and was re-elected in May 2014. She is her country’s first woman president and the first to be elected for a second-term.
She was vice-minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance, as well as European Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget from 2004 to 2009. She is often referred to as the “Iron Lady” or the “Steel Magnolia”.
Liberia – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Born 29 October 1938, Sirleaf is the Liberia’s 24th president. She served as minister of finance under President William Tolbert from 1979 until the 1980 coup d’état, after which she left Liberia to hold senior positions at various financial institutions. She won the 2005 presidential election and took office on January 16, 2006. In 2011, she was a successful candidate for re-election. Sirleaf is the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Argentine – Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner
The 52nd president of Argentina and widow of former president Néstor Kirchner is the second woman to serve as Argentine president after Isabel Martínez de Perón who ruled from 1974 to 1976. A member of the Justicialist Party, Fernández served one term as national deputy and three terms as National Senator for both Santa Cruz and Buenos Aires provinces.
South Korea – Park Geun-hye
Park Geun-hye is the 11th and current president of South Korea. She is the first woman to be elected president in South Korea and is serving her 18th presidential term. She is also the first female head of state in the modern history of Northeast Asia. Prior to her presidency, she was the chairwoman of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) between 2004 and 2006 and between 2011 and 2012.
Central African Republic – Catherine Samba-Panza
The 61-year-old Catherine Samba-Panza is the interim president of the Central African Republic (CAR). She was sworn in as president on January 23, 2014. She is the first woman to hold the post. Prior to becoming the head of state, Samba-Panza was appointed Mayor of Bangui from May 2013.
Chile – Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Another country being led by a female president is Chile, where Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria, a Socialist Party politician holds sway as president. She came to power on March 11, 2014. Before ascending to the exalted seat, she previously served as president from 2006 to 2010, becoming the first woman in her country to do so. After leaving the presidency, she was appointed the first executive director of the newly created United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). In December 2013, Bachelet was re-elected as President of Chile with over 62 per cent of the vote, surpassing the 53.5 per cent she obtained in 2006. She is the first person since 1932 to win the presidency of Chile twice in competitive elections.
Thatcher: The Iron Lady Of Britain And Her Contributions to the nation
She was Britain’s first woman and the longest-serving Premier of the 20th century. A dominant leader of note who, rather than conform to consensus views, was prepared to say and repeat “no”, and very loudly too. “This lady is not for turning,” she once famously intoned. So strict was she that cabinet colleagues had to turn on her to secure her removal in 1990. Margret Thatcher; arguably, was the twentieth century’s most powerful woman who shaped not only the politics of Great Britain, but many other nations.
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