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Gender Equality And Women Representation In The Governance
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However, those favouring the choice of affirmative action for the
redress of gender disparities that exist in human development and
particularly in the area of politics and public decision- making are not
unmindful of the ranging arguments. Instead they believe these
arguments had inadvertently aided the development and growth of the
concept of Affirmative Action (ibid: 23). Article four of CEDAW-
(Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women) - which obligates states parties to introduce the necessary
remedial measure prescribes affirmative policies as temporary and devoid
of “separate standardsâ€. It is however noteworthy that the arguments
against gender- based affirmative action begin to fade in the light of
the successes it had recorded which make it the best option so far for
achieving any significant increase in women representation in
governments.
For instance, it is now obvious that man (as in the male
gender) has from time to time dished out unbelievable doses of
injustice to the female gender all in the name of representative
governance, and that women must be part of the process that dictates
their well- being, welfare, the direction and content of their entire
lives. Commenting on the same issue, Momodu (2006:37) has this to say;
Politics is too important for people and women in
particular to be left totally to men, who can hardly
understand women’s concerns and quest to
participate in decision- making………
In
a closer reflection on gender- related issues particularly women’s
political participation in Nigeria, the question need to be asked
whether adequate scholarly attention has been given to the issue in
respect of the successes or failures of the affirmative action in
redressing the perceived gender imbalance in public decision- making
structures.
The need for research in this area is particularly
noteworthy given the fact that gender equality, women’s empowerment and
women representation in governance seemed to have occupied a central
theme in global treaties, covenants and declarations. They are now
acknowledged as catalysts to people- centered development strategies and
good governments that give men and women equal voices in decision-
making and policy implementation, attainment of Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), as well as other global and regional targets. To this end,
this research work is directed at examining the relevance of the
affirmative action in bridging the gap of gender imbalances and
disparities in the governance of Osun state under the Olagunsoye
Oyinlola’s administration.
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
The attainment of gender equality is now an issue of global concern. It
is seen as a prerequisite for achieving sustainable human development,
especially in the public sphere. The affirmative action is an initiative
to redress the question of gender imbalance imposed by centuries of
discrimination against women.
In this regard, it is of course
relevant and necessary to examine the affirmative action principle much
as there is still a lot of misunderstanding and controversy over its
implementation. Many countries that have used the principle found it a
very useful tool for creating a level playing field for female
participation not only in the electoral process but also in democratic
governance (WARDC Report, 2003).
Though there have been several
newspapers’ reports about the gross under – representation of women in
the Nigerian political scene, which is largely regarded as speculative;
this study intends to localize the affirmative action in Osun state, so
as to ascertain gender disparities in both elective and appointive
offices under the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration, 2003-2010.
1.3 Research Questions
i. What roles did the Gender Action Policy of Osun state set out to achieve since its inception?
ii. What is the level of awareness among key decision-makers about gender –related issues?
iii.
Does the exclusion of women from participating in the political process
create any vacuum in national development?
iv. What are the gender specific problems arising from political contest?
1.8 Objectives of the Study
The specific objectives of the study are to:
i. examine the Gender Action Plan of Osun state between 2003 and 2010;
ii. determine the level of awareness among key decision makers about gender- related issues;
iii. investigate gender specific problems arising from political contest.
1.9 Research Hypotheses
i. The nature of gender action policy of Osun state tends to limit the implementation
of the affirmative action.
ii. Women representation in the governance of Osun state is possibly determined by
the level of awareness among key decision- makers about gender- related issues.
iii. Gender equality in the governance of Osun state requires change of attitudes,
beliefs and some cultural practices.
1.10 Theoretical Framework
The
study employed a combination of historical approach and feminist models
as its tools of analysis. These approaches were combined and utilized
together to explain the problematique of the research.
For instance,
the historical model allows the examination and analysis of present
reality or recurrent political phenomenon based on the dialectics or
antecedents of the past. It connects the present and past political
phenomena in a way that provides insights and understanding to the
complex issue of politics. According to Varma (2004), the historical
approach to politics seeks to explain political phenomena by giving
reference to certain facts of history. This framework of analysis is
particularly relevant to the problematique of the research given the
nature of the women representation in politics which cannot be
reasonably assessed without situating it within the larger context of
women’s continuing struggles and aspiration for greater represention in
public decision-making.
Feminism, on the other hand, is the belief in
the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although
largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is
represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of
women’s rights and interests. Feminism is a well-established ideology
with certain core positions and a range of variants that move in
somewhat different directions. Feminism
is also an international
movement that cuts across class, national, racial, ethnic, and religious
barriers even though those same barriers reveal significant
differences.
One subject on which feminists agree is the need to
replace what they see as the system of male dominance, or patriarchy,
which affects all social institutions. Clearly, feminism focuses on the
position of women in society and the roles they play, but feminists
argue that improving the status of women will also benefit all human
beings whatever their gender. For instance, feminism is developing a
critical apparatus for analyzing contemporary society that is
challenging all contemporary ideologies. Feminist philosophers and
political philosophers are proposing new ways of understanding the
world. Feminists encourage all human beings to envision the possibility
of a society free from sexism, racism, discrimination based on sexual
orientation, and all the other ways in which human beings have
subjugated other human beings.
As noted by Cole et.al (2007),
throughout most of Western history, women were confined to the domestic
sphere, while public life was reserved for men. Moreover, women had
little or no access to education and were barred from most professions.
In some parts of the world, such restrictions on women still continue
till today.
As pointed out earlier, so many variant of feminism exist
such as radical feminism, marxist or socialist feminism, liberal
feminism but attention is focused on transformative feminism because of
its core arguments and goal which seemed particularly relevant to
subject-matter of this study.
Transformative feminists have shown how
men have created a male-centered way of understanding the world that
severely limits our ability to conceptualize human relations that are
not hierarchical and patriarchal. The goal of these feminists is to
break through those mental barriers as well as the political, economic,
and cultural barriers that keep all human beings from becoming fully
human. For example, Hartsock (1983:224-225) has noted that feminists
have reconceptualized the notion of power. Power as dominance gives way
to power as “energy and competence.†According to her, all our ways of
thinking need to undergo a similar revolution.
Hence transformative
feminists are arguing for a fundamental transformation of not only our
political and economic lives but our social, cultural, and personal
lives as well. As Megan (2007) contends;
The alternative value core of transformative feminisms in all their variety is the holistic, egalitarian, life-centered rejection of dominant androcentric, dualistic, hierarchical, profit-centered ideology and social structures.
The
goal of transformative feminism, therefore, is to achieve equality
while recognizing difference or specificity between the two genders, and
this approximates, in a way, the central theme of this research work.
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