Nigerian Women And Their Struggle

Nigerian Women And Their Struggle

Wednesday, February 11, 2015 1:48 pm


Femi Ipaye

Women As Voters And Their Struggles In The Nigerian Economy

It is another year of elections campaign and voting in Nigeria, the most populated black nation in the world.

Since the return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999, Nigerian women have been a vital part of the electoral process, contributing their quota to ensure the survival of government of the people, by the people and for the people. They turn out in large numbers to vote for candidates of their choice during elections.

•Madam Esther Epko, a grandmother working on her palm karnels where she makes little income.

•Madam Esther Epko, a grandmother working on her palm karnels where she makes little income.

They have done so with their babies strapped to their backs, with their items of trade on their heads, waiting on long queues sometimes under the hot sun to cast votes.

Ironically, while male politicians continue to depend on their support to win elections, little has been done in terms of opening of the political space to them by way of standing for elective positions.

•Esther Onalo, 39years old, married, 6 children, farmer, palm oil producer and trader, member of the women group in APATA Community, Kogi State.

•Esther Onalo, 39years old, married, 6 children, farmer, palm oil producer and trader, member of the women group in APATA Community, Kogi State.

In 2011 election for instance, only seven women were elected into the 109-member Nigeria Senate while there were only 25 in the House of Representatives out of the 360 elected members.

Women have also, over the years, emerged as the major backbone of their families, sometimes playing the role of breadwinners.

•Madam Rose, a widow with seven children, on her way to Ikot Mfon Community market. She sells fish to take care of her family.

•Madam Rose, a widow with seven children, on her way to Ikot Mfon Community market. She sells fish to take care of her family.

There have been an increasing number of single mothers made up of women between the ages of 18 and 25 years pushed into motherhood by unemployed and under employed young men and philandering married men who abandoned the girls after putting them in the family way.

Some of the single mothers have taken to prostitution as they can be found “hustling” in hotels and night clubs across the country in order to take care of their babies.

•A woman with her baby, selling sand to feed her family.

•A woman with her baby, selling sand to feed her family.

Some, like Madam Rose in Akwa Ibom State, were forced to become major breadwinners for their families as a result of the death of their partners. A widow with seven children to take care of, Madam Rose was abandoned by her husband’s family after the death of her partner. Today, she sells smoked fish around the village to take care of the seven kids.

Now what does the future holds for Nigerian women?

•Too many kids and poor living standard.

•Too many kids and poor living standard.

•A pregnant woman hawking sachet water on the streets of Abuja.

•A pregnant woman hawking sachet water on the streets of Abuja.

•Female groundnut farmer.

•Female groundnut farmer.

•Mother with her twins baby, begging to take care of them.

•Mother with her twins baby, begging to take care of them.

•Voters on queue waiting to cast their votes.

•Voters on queue waiting to cast their votes.


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