Gender Gap In Politics: A Peep Into University Campuses In Nigeria

The struggle for female leadership representation in a patriarchal society like Nigeria has been a difficult one, women’s representation in politics remains extremely low, hence the long-standing demand for 30 percent affirmative action.
This problem is not only at the national stage but also at the university level particularly within the Student Union Government, SUG. This report looks into the systematic hurdle hindering women from attaining the presidency in the SUGs across prominent Nigerian universities.
While this report uses the University of Port Harcourt and Rivers State University as a focal point, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Bayero University Kano, University of Lagos, University of Uyo, and other prominent universities in Nigeria have never had a female SUG President.
In most Nigerian universities, men have been consistently holding the position of the SUG president while the women hold positions such as Vice-President and other lesser positions; whereas there is no indication in these schools’ constitutions that the SUG President position is exclusively reserved for male students.
For instance, Section 5 of the SUG Constitution of the University of Port Harcourt states that “Members shall have the right to vote and be voted for at the union’s elections, except otherwise stated in this constitution and subject to electoral guidelines.”
While Section 2 (a) (v) of Article 2 in the Rivers State University SUG constitution stipulates that “ordinary members have the privilege to vote and be voted for in approved Union elections subject to constitutional and other approved rules of the union.”
Whereas the terms “members and ordinary members” refer to any person admitted into the undergraduate degree in any of these schools and have paid the prescribed membership dues.
Since these constitutions do not limit the role of the SUG President to male students, it becomes worrisome that only male students keep dominating this position.
Since the creation of the University of Port Harcourt in 1977, there has been only one female president, Onumajuru Faithlina, who got the position through a circumstantial condition – the stepping down of then SUG President, David Dickson Senibo in 2022/2023 session as she was the Vice-President.
Similarly, in the 44years history of the Rivers State University, no woman has led the SUG until the year 2016 when Miss Faith Ina, was elected as the first and last female SUG president, as no woman has again held the position till date.
Barriers to women’s representation in SUG politics
While stakeholders including students identify gender bias, lack of mentorship and support, limited access to resources, unconscious bias in voting patterns, and the need to balance academic and political responsibilities as barriers to women in campus politics, female students in SUG leadership say it is too challenging and laced with numerous threats.
A pro-young people’s group, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, identified sexual harassment, financial constraints, lack of foundation, parental pressure, cultism and intimidation as major obstacles hindering women’s participation in student politics, noting that cultism was the bane of student unionism.
Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Mr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, speaking on the need to address these challenges to promote gender equality in leadership positions, said, “Women face unwanted sexual advances and harassment, struggle financially, prioritize studies over politics due to academic struggles, and are discouraged by parents and guardians.”
Additionally, Fyneface noted that the prevalence of cultism and bias toward male dominance in student politics discourages women from vying for top positions like the SUG Presidency.
“Bullying and intimidation by male counterparts further compound the issue. We must not shy away from the fact that we are in a society where cultism thrives. Women struggle to become SUG President in school because they don’t belong to any cult group and oftentimes, those who are able to fight their way to student unionism are cultists.
“Even if they claim they are not and try not to disclose it, we all know they use it to network within the campus to enable them to get to that position and many women are not part of that process.”
The CSO leader urged stakeholders to address these challenges and create an inclusive environment for women in politics and promote equal opportunities and leadership development. “Empowering women in student politics is crucial for gender equality and a more representative leadership,” Fyneface asserted.
Similarly, the incumbent SUG Vice President at Rivers State University, Miss Jack Crown, said the challenges she faced before being elected include difficulty in convincing students and threats from stakeholders.
She said, “It wasn’t easy convincing students to support me, especially students who were already supporting my opposition candidates. I had to be extra creative and strategic, which included sharing jeans to students since my opponent was sharing garri.
“Also, meeting with stakeholders for consultation was hellish because you’re going to meet both the people supporting you and the ones that aren’t supporting you. Some of these stakeholders would so much frustrate you to a point of regret. Another problem was the threat from senior stakeholders.”
An SUG official of the University of Port Harcourt, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a woman’s bid for the Presidency is not only challenging but almost impossible without personal significant sacrifices.
He said, “Any student who is vying for that position must be a male, though not constitutionally mandated. As a female, it will be so hard to attain that position in Uniport. Such a female must be very ready to sacrifice even her body to countless men in order to get support, of which she may not still win.”
Women are not daring enough, women need mentorship
The SUG President of Rivers State University, Omubo Pepple Abinye, explains that nothing hinders female students from vying for the position of the SUG President, as long as they have met the requirements for the position and can campaign and canvassed vigorously for support and acceptance.
“Nothing is hindering women from contesting for this position because the system is free and fair, and so long as she has done the necessary things like campaigns and the students’ community sees she’s the right person, then she’s good to go.
“If someone requires encouragement to do a thing, that means the person lacks the courage and perseverance to run for that position. Rather, we need someone who believes strongly in themselves that this is what they want to do and they can handle it.”
Similarly, the circumstantial SUG President of Uniport 2022/2023, Miss Faithlina Onumajuru, explained that female students do not vie for the position because it is too competitive.
She said, “Female students have the mindset that the position of the SUG President is meant for the male student. And this has become a norm in the University making the female students unwilling to contest for this position.”
An aspiring SUG Vice President at the Rivers State University, Miss Deleh Saatah, said she chose to run as VP due to gender biases present in electing the President.
According to Miss Chukwuma Favour, the incumbent SUG Vice President at the University of Port Harcourt, there were no barriers hindering women from running for top positions.
She said, “I don’t think there’s any barrier apart from the one an individual places for themselves and unless the constitution governing some positions, which in my school there’s no such law that sets aside a position for either a male or female. If a person thinks they are capable, then they should go for it.”
However, a civil society organization, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria has noted that women often perceive the SUG Presidency as an unattainable and male-dominated position, lacking the confidence to run due to perceived male opposition.
Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Mr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, stated that even female students may vote for male candidates, perpetuating the notion that the position is exclusively for men. Bullying also plays a significant role in discouraging women from pursuing leadership roles, Fyneface emphasized.
These insights underscore the need for a supportive environment and mindset shift to encourage women’s participation in student politics. Fyneface urged stakeholders to address these challenges and promote gender equality in leadership positions. “Empowering women in student politics is crucial for inclusive representation and leadership development,” Fyneface concluded.
Strategies to promote women’s participation in politics
YEAC-Nigeria has proposed alternating years for men and women to hold the position and implementing the 30% affirmative action to increase female participation in politics, not just on campus but in national politics.
Fyneface, who shared successful initiatives from YEAC-Nigeria, including gender mainstreaming, involving women in programs, and ensuring representation for all; also encouraged females to be bold, build networks, plan ahead, and start early to achieve their ambition.
“Firstly, there should be a turn where women lead for a year and the men go the following year. That way, women get to participate more. If we also have a replication of the 30% affirmative action many females would participate in the election process and they would understand the process of getting involved in elections and have the boldness of contesting both at campus politics and national politics.
“For instance, at YEAC-Nigeria, we ensure that both genders are represented in whatever we do. If we need to employ like 20 staff, we ensure that 10 are females and if we need to implement programs, we follow the same gender ratio; we involve both old, young, and physically challenged women in all our programs for equality, which has helped to promote women participation in what we do and I think others should emulate our gender strategy.”
YEAC-Nigeria emphasized the importance of performance, transparency, and utilizing available tools to work their way into power. Fyneface believes women can excel in leadership positions, stating, “What a man can do, a woman can do better.
“Ladies should be bold, ambitious, and have confidence in themselves. They should network and plan ahead by involving their female and male friends to help them navigate the political landscape in school. Women must aspire and utilize whatever tool they have at their disposal to work their way into power on campus by becoming SUG President.”
Similarly, the Associate Dean of Students Affairs at Rivers State University, Dr. Salome I. Douglas, stressed the importance of direct involvement in bringing about change, encouraging female students to start with smaller leadership roles.
“We cannot bring about a desired change unless we are directly involved. I have always seized opportunities to motivate girls to take on positions like course representatives or faculty roles, paving the way for future aspirations to higher positions like the SUG Presidency. A gradual build-up of confidence and experience, empowering women to aim higher.”
Similarly, the incumbent SUG Vice President at the University of Port Harcourt, Miss Chukwuma Favour advocated that leadership training and awareness programs can help students discover their potential and build confidence.
She believes that by engaging in activities and handling smaller responsibilities, students can develop their leadership skills and eventually be prepared to take on higher positions.
“I recommend that leadership training should be carried out to create awareness and sensitize the students as most of them feel they aren’t capable and by having them engage in activities, they can realize that they have leadership skills in them. As handling little things builds room for them to occupy higher positions.”
Conclusion:
Despite the need for gender equality in leadership positions, Rivers State University and the University of Port Harcourt have not implemented any significant initiatives to encourage female students to vie for top positions in the Students’ Union Government, particularly the presidency.
Nigerian universities’ absence of structured programs or policies to promote gender equality in student politics remains a significant concern that demands collective attention, as it also mirrors the gender gap in national politics.
Apparently, there are obstacles that hinder female individuals from assuming leadership roles, from societal expectations to systemic barriers, it becomes clear that change is imperative.
It is essential to recognize that adequate gender representation in student politics is vital for a healthy democracy, thus women must be empowered and encouraged from all backgrounds to lead and take on decision-making roles in order for a more inclusive and representative student politics.
Moreover, a constitutional review is necessary to remove structural barriers and ensure gender parity in political representation; university authority, students, and every stakeholder must unite to dismantle these barriers, challenge biases, and create a level playing field for all in order to bridge the leadership gap and unlock a brighter future for student politics.
By promoting gender equality and women's leadership in student politics, Nigeria can create a more inclusive and representative environment that empowers students, especially females, to recognize their capabilities and aspire for leadership roles.
This story is facilitated by Step-Up for Women in Journalism Initiative, SWIJ, with support from the Gates Foundation and Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, WSCIJ, under its Report Women Project.