GENDER EQUALITY: A NECESSITY FOR A VIABLE ELECTORAL AND DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The quest for gender equality in electoral and democratic process have continued to be inspired and clamored for since democratic dispensation. Women for long have suffered various forms of discrimination, inequality exclusion from political space by their male counterpart. This paper apart from the conceptual framework also has theoretical framework which is based on the relative deprivation theory and the liberal feminist theory. These theories advocate that women have been denied and deprived good education that they command very limited economic resources hence placing them at the pedestral position. Also, that the female gender like their male counterparts should be free to choose their roles in life and explore their full potential in equal competition with men. Factors that promote gender equality in electoral and democratic process were highlighted. Including the effects of gender equality in electoral and democratic process. Tables were also drown to show the number of male and female that occupied both the senate House and House of Representatives in various years from 2003 to 2023. The two tables showed that women have not been impressively represented in our nation’s political space. More so at the elective position from presidential to House of Assembly from 2003 to 2023 showed that women were massively marginalized. However, recommendations such as empowering women to pursue their political ambitions as well as dismantling religious, traditional and other obnoxious beliefs were stated. There is also the need to upgrade the level of gender awareness in society for policy makers to become gender sensitive.