Assessment of Women’s Participation in Nigerian Politics: A Study of Oyun Local Government Area, Kwara State

Abstract

 Women’s participation in political leadership has become a major discourse globally, but the level of their involvement still varies significantly from one country to another. In Africa, countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique have made considerable progress in women’s political representation. This study assesses the level of women’s participation in politics within Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. Despite constitutional guarantees and the adoption of affirmative action policies such as the 35% gender representation benchmark, women’s involvement in political processes remains critically low. The study sets out to examine the extent to which the 35% affirmative action has been implemented to enhance women’s political participation in Oyun Local Government Area. Along with evaluating the effect of low educational attainment on women’s political participation, it also seeks to investigate how religious elitism influences women’s engagement in public and political life. Furthermore, the study aims to examine how socioeconomic factors affect women’s political participation in the local context. Along with evaluating the effect of low educational attainment on women’s political participation, it also seeks to investigate how religious elitism influences women’s engagement in public and political life. Furthermore, the study aims to examine how socioeconomic factors affect women’s political participation in the local context. The study identifies important impediments, such as socioeconomic barriers, low educational attainment, religious elitism, and cultural prejudices that endure in the study area, by reviewing the body of existing literature and making empirical observations. It draws attention to the ways that structural injustices and systemic marginalisation still prevent women from fully integrating into positions of political leadership. The results highlight the pressing need for more political education, economic empowerment, targeted policy interventions, and tactical changes to political party structures. The study comes to the conclusion that women’s equitable and active participation in political decision-making at all levels is crucial to Nigeria’s inclusive development and sustainable democratic governance.