Women’s political participation

The relevance of women as positive contributors to the development of society has long been acknowledged. Over the last centuries, the contribution of women to economic and political development of society has been recognized in both academic and policy cycles. This growing recognition reflects the active participation of women in various aspects of growth and development of society both through formal and informal production in recent times 1 . In pre-colonial times, women were a decisive factor in the development of society in general. They were an integral part of society or ethnic groups they belonged to. This period before the colonial rule characterized by a series of economic activities which included trade and commerce, agriculture, bead making and craft work. The Women were totally involved in the support and service of their citizens at that time and by so doing contributed immensely to the general development of the entire community or ethnic group at large 2 . However, it can be argued that the involvement of women in the pre-colonial times actually accelerated the pace at which societies developed considering the fact that most African societies had little or no place at all in the decision making body for women as compared to their male counter parts.3 It is against this back drop that this inquiry intends to look into Udu women role in modern time, 1999-2019. Women were very instrumental in the formation and evolution of African states and societies. Although no detailed attention has been given to the specific role they played in the reconstruction of African states and societies 4 , this study however is meant to reaffirm the place of women in the history of the reconstruction of African society, politically, economically, culturally and other wise, using Udu as a case study. Udu is a community in Delta State, it is headquarters of Udu local Government Area

This study critically examines gender politics and women's participation in Nigerian politics, focusing on the 2020
governorship election in Edo state. Through four key research objectives, the project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing women in Nigerian politics. Firstly, it analyzes historical trends in women's political participation, spanning from pre-colonial eras to the present day. Secondly, it explores the socio- cultural, economic, and political barriers that inhibit women's empowerment in Nigeria, including patriarchal norms and institutional biases. Thirdly, the study evaluates existing strategies and policies aimed at promoting women's political participation, such as affirmative action and gender quotas. Finally, based on these analyses, the project proposes recommendations to enhance women's political empowerment in Nigeria, encompassing legislative reforms, institutional changes, and grassroots mobilization efforts. Through this research, the study contributes to the scholarly discourse on gender politics and women's
empowerment in Nigeria, offering insights to inform policy-making and advocacy initiatives toward achieving gender equality in the political sphere. This research utilizes a quantitative data collection method. A well-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from 164 respondents. Findings revealed that women's participation is still at a lower level during the 2020 governorship election in Edo State. The results highlight the persistent gender disparities in political representation and engagement, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to promote gender equality and increase women's political participation. The findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on gender and politics in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of addressing the systemic barriers that hinder women's full participation in the political sphere.