By Adaora Onyechere
Thematic conversations will explore this on the basis of Gynophobia which is defined as an intense and irrational fear of women. It may be characterized as a form of specific phobia. Specific phobias involve a fear that is centered on a specific trigger object or situation, which in the case of gynophobia is women.
in this particular conversation it extends beyond the clinical psychological explanations of what this means to scholars and literature, it is infact a reclassification of the consequences of the assumption that women are already powerful and do not need to demand for what’s already theres, it is infact not just a prejudice that suits the men’s understanding of women’s rights but also a masked attempt to veil the insecurities of the male gender been deliberate about the necessity of equality in both our political space and social construct as a nation.
Achieving gender equality in politics requires that women and men of all backgrounds have equal access to such positions and can subsequently participate in decision making on an equal basis. Ensuring that the leaderships of public administrations and parliaments reflect the populations they serve including their gender composition can contribute to the fairness and responsiveness of these institutions. Achieving this entails putting in place inclusive work environments, facilitating equal access to leadership roles (e.g. chairs of parliaments and parliamentary committees), and removing socio-economic barriers to political participation (e.g. through gender-mainstreamed and targeted public policies).
Over the years countries have taken steps to advance the space for women and girls by reviewing their policies, extending platforms of vices to reach out to those in the communities amongst others.
How democratic is Nigeria’s democracy if women are absent from the parliament? The Extra seat bill which was one of the gender bills one of the bills that were voted against at the parliament not only seeks to redeem’s Nigeria’s shameful position on the international index amongst other nations but also is committed to reduce the gaps of women’s exclusion in elective positions.
The political parties also have a huge role to play, Our Political parties are male dominated, with 99.9% ( arguably) have men in leading positions. Women are often put forward for seats with minimal or no chance of winning in elections. Discriminatory or violent behavior against women by male colleagues is still common in parties, it is therefore very important that Political parties should be willing to reflect and act upon existing discrimination and gender bias in their procedures on recruitment, selection and support of candidates and regarding their internal functioning.
in Africa Nigeria ranks the 10th lowest at 3.6% after Burkina Faso which had 6.3%, a country Political framework is that of a semi-presidential republic with a population of 20.3 million people.
Nigerian women have since the 1st of March continued to march and converge at the gate of the parliament demanding for their rights to inclusion in politics, in governance, in leadership and access to thrive side by side with the men as equal participants in the development of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Whilst we are still bedeviled by the demeanor of the men in the Nigerian parliament which has been labeled , clandestine, unpatriotic and cowardly The current Swedish government has declared itself a feminist government, devoted to a feminist foreign policy. By using the ‘F word’, the government aims to emphasise that gender equality is vital to society and that more needs to be done to achieve it.
It’s no coincidence, then, that 12 of the 23 government ministers – including the prime minister – are women. Definite progress has been made since Karin Kock became the first woman in the Swedish government in 1947. Nearly half of the members of the current parliament in Sweden are also women.
Furthermore, countries like Spain, Finland and France have reached 50% female representation in ministerial positions. Austria, Belgium and the United States have also achieved notable gains in women’s representation in ministerial posts
so really who are those afraid of the women in Nigeria and why, some would say that truly for the first time in a long the reverberations of the women chanting at the of the parliament for the constitution that women want has truly demystified those who have really echoed the stance of inclusion and equality by voting for the five gender bills and those who have remained imprisoned in their anti-women self-driven stereotypical, clannish and detrimental postulations and positions by voting against them.
Yet in all of these it is good to note down the following;
1. Electoral systems have a strong impact on gender equality outcomes. Research and experience has shown that proportional list systems lead to more women being elected. This needs to be taken into account when reflecting about revisions of electoral laws.
2. Political parties are gate keepers facilitating the entry and success of individuals in politics. Many aspects of the functioning of political parties’ impact gender equality within the party, including the existence of quotas (for elections and for internal structures), the provision of trainings, particularly for women members and the existence of women’s groups or the allocation of funding to candidates.
3. An adequate legal framework is crucial to ensure the equal or balanced participation of women and men in public and political life. Efficient legal quotas or parity systems have proven to be effective measures for the promotion of gender balance. such as the 5 gender bills that will be revisited at the national assembly by the House of representatives.
4. There is no shortage of skilled and experienced women who could assume political functions; they must be made more visible and encouraged to stand. Addressing the male-dominated culture of politics and the functioning of the political fora would allow more women to enter and remain in politics.
5. it is not enough to have prepared women candidates. We need prepared voters, who give them their votes. The media have a central role in enhancing or hindering women’s political participation by perpetuating or challenging gender stereotypes.
The future of this great country Nigeria is in the hands of its women and they are no longer taking a back seat to be referred to what is rightfully theirs as citizens, as burden bearers and as the most productive part of the population.
