A Study Of Women’s Participation In Politics In West Africa

Women still encounter barriers in every country around the world to political involvement in the twenty-first century.Socioeconomic barriers hinder women’s success.The inter-parliamentary union(IPU)data show that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision making worldwide and that achieving gender parity in political life is far off.Women serve as heads of state and or government in only 31 countries.Women make up 26.5 percent of members of parliament according to the IPU data as of January 2023.The IPU is an international association of parliaments that was founded in 1889.This minimal representation at this time demonstrates how far women still have to go to achieve political equality.We must encourage genderequitable government efforts to expand women’s participation in policy-making by passing some legal measures."In the differences between sexes,men are considered better and more in nature,while women are underestimated," Globally,the gender quota is being adopted at an astonishing rate.Seeking policy changes to increase women’s involvement in decisionmaking bodies.Quota system promotes women’s government participation.Temporary quota implemented to involve women in politics until obstacles are overcome.Many developing nations around the world,particularly those in the West African region,have implemented quotas at the national or subnational level to ensure gender parity.Women can contribute to political empowerment in many developed nations where political parties have willingly embraced quotas.Only if women are given political reservations will they be given the power in politics.When the political power of women is raised,social barriers might also be broken down.The governments of many West African nations have not taken any significant action regarding participation of women organizations,examining political growth that can be seen in the shape of political power.The area is designated for political parties rather than women.Women economic status not determined by political advancement,majority of parties do not give women a chance in politics,women have been waiting for politics to arrive for a very long time.Nigeria,one of the largest democracies in Africa,has yet to elect a woman governor after the results of the most recent 2023election demonstrated the challenges women face in the political sphere.Men and women generally split their activities between inside and outside of the home in most civilizations.Women’s social mobility is thus constrained and managed.Men are reportedly given greater education so they can compete.Women’s dependence on males for resources outside home leads to men dominating social,economic,and political spheres.Women significantly underrepresented in economic and social policy creation.Women excluded from decision-making bodies hinder their voice and political engagement,limiting their ability to voice concerns.In West Africa,men predominate in the government structure.Study examines barriers and circumstances limiting women involvement in electoral processes.Text analyzes women politics in West Africa,focusing on their roles and comparative analysis,this study identifies the differences in policies and strategies used by institutions that are still developing and Implementing initiatives,enhancing women’s representation in parliament and political parties in Africa.West African women participation in political process was hindered by collective malecontrolled mindset,despite both male and female individuals pushing for women’s involvement in most countries.Literature highlights challenges women face due to societal male mindset,hindering their engagement in politics and linking female participation to male perception.Problems with women’s politics have been addressed in this study.In order to be politically empowered,women must overcome numerous obstacles.Women are not given the authority to shape their own reality.Women are still underrepresented in the parliament.The women who were elected to parliament did not have a lot of influence because of a woman’s conviction.Study is divided into five chapters,backdrop of study,an explanation of the problems;study objectives,research questions,and purpose are all presented in the introductory section of Chapter 1,along with the study’s overall scope and significance.The main goal of is to identify the elements that either encourage or discourage women political participation,discusses various literary works by various authors that were used to describe challenges facing women seeking political office.Chapter 2 discusses women’s involvement in politics,enhancing the region’s understanding of challenges and identifying needed solutions.If women are to make significant strides in politics,they must be equipped with the knowledge and experience.West Africa: Women’s political participation explored from this chapter,its significance,and strategies for reforming it.It explores the psychological environment and political participation in West Africa,women socioeconomic environment,women political environment,and women electoral framework.This chapter also discuss the history of women political involvement in the region and the methods of their involvement in the region politics.Chapter 3 explores women’s politics in West Africa,addressing the influence or promoting factors of their political participation.The chapter discusses how politics is stained by the acts of violence during conflict,focusing on human rights,inclusive growth,and sustainable development.It addresses violence,persecution,and torture,particularly on the West African continent,targeting incumbents and opposition parties.This chapter also discusses how women are still underrepresented by men in all areas of politics and public life,including religion,education,politics,and politics as a no-go area for women.Women are also disadvantaged globally In the West African region,women face societal challenges in accessing equal educational opportunities and political representation,as over half of the world’s population,their participation in politics,particularly liberal democracy,impacts societal development and prosperity.This chapter analyzes women’s autonomy,access to formal political power structures,and constraints imposed by social discourses,institutions,sociocultural norms,and functional requirements.This chapter also explores the ideological motivations behind the system of male dominance’s employment of gender role ideology to shape women’s relationships in politics.The political climate significantly affects the number of female politicians.The social and cultural factors that keep women down in comparison to men are shown as a worldwide occurrence with varied degrees of gender inequality.Chapter 4 discuss the obstacles to women’s political participation and how women face underrepresentation in political involvement due to enforcement practices,highlighting the need for improved representation.For example,women’s participation in parliaments of Arab nations like Afghanistan,Yemen,and Kuwait is among the lowest in the world,while it is much higher in Scandinavian nations like Sweden,Denmark,and Iceland as well as some African nations like Rwanda and Senegal.It has been noted that inequalities in the low political representation or engagement of women might be challenging,and this research evaluates these differences.This chapter examines the ideological element as an obstacle to women’s political empowerment,interpreting their engagement in politics and the variables,and offers recommendations for reducing obstacle and promoting gender equality.The final chapter,Chapter 5,closes the study and offers some specific conclusions based on the literature reviews examined.Additionally,this chapter outlines various suggestions and steps that should be taken to fully include women in politics and decision-making.