Written by: EBUBECHI IWUH
The issue of women and youth participation in leadership and politics has continued to be a major concern for the world at large.
Globally, women are underrepresented in leadership positions within political parties despite constituting about 40-50% percent of political party membership worldwide.
In Nigeria particularly, there has been low participation of women in both elective and appointive positions. Which of course is a result of several limiting factors including patriarchal practice inherent in our society, discriminatory attitudes, exclusion from masculinized structure and information networks as well as limited financial resources and family responsibilities among others.
Aiming to increase women and youth participation in leadership and politics will therefore demand multifold and strategic actions to be taken by political parties since they are the central means and drivers of democracy and channels for citizen’s effective participation in leadership and competition for political power.
Therefore, for political parties to encourage women and youth participation in leadership, governance and politics, the following policies should be considered:
1. Introduction of Quota Systems that promote the inclusion of women and Youth: There should be an emphasized system across all political parties that accords at least 40% percentage or quota to women and youth for both elective or appointive positions within the party and public positions.
This includes a compulsory production of these percentiles in either the nomination processes of parties or representation at all levels of government.
2. Concerned bodies such as INEC that regulate activities of political parties should create and enforce policies that promote party’s leadership positions for women and youths in central committees as well as an equal representation or number of women and men as delegates at national nominating conventions.
3. Access to public financing and funding of campaign budgets as incentives to political parties that present more women and youth in their candidate lists and sanctions for parties that do not meet the requirements of the quota system of representation.
4. Political parties should re-emphasize the “Not Too Young to Run Bill ” and create a support network for prospective women and youth aspirants by giving a reduced price or total elimination on the purchase of nomination forms as means of encouragement and capacity building.
5. Strict reservation of specific positions for women : Political parties should strictly reserve positions such as national vice chairman, chapters vice-chairpersons, ward vice-chairman, etc of the party for women.
Where women and youth should be allowed to contest for other positions of interest, the above positions within the political parties should however be reserved strictly for these sets of people.
6. Development and Formation of New Party structures: Quick approval should be granted for the formation and development of new party structures or political parties that consciously and deliberately promote the participation of women and youth as direct representatives in governance as a means of supporting the inclusion.
Moreso, meeting schedules for political parties meetings should be reviewed to benefit women, especially with respect to their family roles and responsibilities.
The above strategies when implemented by political parties and other concerned bodies will largely encourage women and youth participation in governance, politics and leadership subsequently.
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