The importance of women participation in politics in modern democracy is enormous. Women should participate and belong to political parties in order to promote their political rights, take decisions on issues that concern them as well as contribute to the democratic process. From the colonial era women have faced various challenges that range from denial of political spaces; from local to state and national levels, to lack of funding, coordination, experience, lack of confidence, capacity, education and ignorance. Issues of few female sponsors and role models, stigma and violence that surround elections in many developing countries also contribute to women abstinence in politics.
Nocturnal meetings are also considered as a challenge to women participation in politics and have generated much argument as some school of thought believe that a woman who is willing and determined to go into politics should be ready to pay the prize by participating in the night meetings. This school of thought bases their argument on the fact that female doctors and soldiers work during the night as their male folks, yet the society concedes to it. Another school of thought is of the opinion that night meeting is a denial of the right to a woman in participating as it is held at odd hours and many women may not be able to participate at such an odd hour. The first school of thought maintain that any woman going into politics should be ready to be supported by her husband or people around her and as such take her to night meetings and provide the necessary protection. The second says a woman that attains night meetings is labelled wayward by society. Against the above backdrop, many people including women have lost confidence in the ability of the state to guarantee political space for women. This can be linked to the failure of the affirmative.
PDA’s stand on women participation in politics:
PDA has noted with dismay the way politicians use and dump women during and after elections. In Ovuoba community Ada Ukpa says she would have loved to go into politics but the fact that she only hears about politics and political education during election periods has denied her the knowledge of how to go about taking part in politics. Speaking in her dialect, Ada admits that the only time her community people hear about an election is when a campaign of an election starts.
She says it was when PDA came to her community that she realised that as a woman she can exercise her right by belonging to a political party, vote and be voted for.
When I went for a training organised by PDA I learnt that as a woman I can do better than men if I go into politics, I can make an informed decision about women’s issues and I can put my eyes in the political process of my State
One thing Ada will not forget about the training she attended is the five Ps that builds women in a political career. She has continued to advocate that the five Ps which are Procreate, Provide, Protect, Project and Promote women in politics are very strong words for women to succeed in politics.
We were told by PDA that the 5-Ps means:
Promote: Female political role models should promote young aspiring female politicians. They can be promoted through recommendation, involving in them in political party leadership where decisions are taken, is very important. Their being in political party leadership is critical to women’s advancement in a political career.
Provide: It is not enough to recommend women into politics. It is important that fellow women and male champions provide all-female aspirants with financial and material support. One of the means through which women have been eliminated in politics is by fixing high amount for obtaining forms as candidates. So, women are encouraged to form cooperatives that raise money and support an aspiring group member. The skills and educational level of our rural women politicians should be built. Education and skill enhancement can help build their confidence and self-esteem.
Protect: In protecting a woman, her life, her property her vote and everything that concern her has to be safeguarded for her to concentrate and play meaningful and impactful politics.
Projection: This is closely related to promotion but this is more of taking her and presenting her to the people that matter in the society. Promote and project her strengths and give her assignments and correct her constructively.
Procreate: According to the Cambridge dictionary procreation isn’t something to be taken lightly….; this means that the older women in politics should give birth to younger women that can take up the mantle of leadership upon retirement. Space should be created for the moulding of young women in politics. Older women politicians should be doing background mentoring and coaching especially for rural women and this should be done continuously and not when an election is around the corner.