Underrepresented Documentary
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DISCUSSION GUIDE UnderRepresented A DOCUMENTARY ON WOMEN’S POLITICAL REPRESENTATION IN NIGERIA PRODUCED BY POLICY AND LEGAL ADVOCACY CENTRE (PLAC) WITH SUPPORT FROM THE FORD FOUNDATION Publication Information Published by Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) with support from the Ford Foundation © 2017 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Synopsis nderRepresented explores the low representation of Nigerian women in politics and public life. It highlights the role of women in the Nigerian society and how money, culture, religion and stereotypical portrayals of women and girls discourage women from running for elective oce. In Nigeria, many girls are raised to be conscious of the expected roles of wife or mother and not of leader, politician or decision-maker. A woman entering into politics is therefore seen to challenge this norm. Emerging from the 2015 General Elections, women secured only about 6% of legislative seats in the National Assembly. According to the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), Nigeria ranks 181 out of 193 countries when it comes to women in national parliaments. These are abysmal statistics considering the fact that women constitute about half of the Nigerian population, as well as its voting population. In this documentary, PLAC examines the underlying reasons for these low numbers. The documentary begins with conversations on the experiences of the girl child and goes on to chronicle the history of Nigerian women in leadership positions from the pre-colonial to colonial times, as well as women political representation since Nigeria’s independence. It continues with an exploration of the views of female legislators, politicians, civil society activists, religious leaders and younger female politicians to discover why, in spite of eorts to improve women’s political representation, women remain less likely to run for oce, and when they do, fail to get elected. Through experiences shared by these women, viewers are informed of the dierence women make when they occupy decision-making positions and how the younger female generation can be supported to attain such positions. UnderRepresented uncovers facts and experiences that will hopefully leave audiences with a new perspective, and as well, spark conversations that should contribute to solutions and inclusive policy decisions towards increased women’s representation – not just in politics, but also in other spheres of life. Definitions Key terms that are integral to #UnderRepresented are: Representation: This is dened as the action of speaking or acting on behalf of a person or group and making their voices and opinions “present” in public policy making processes. In relation to politics, it refers to service especially in a legislative body by delegated authority usually resulting from election. Underrepresentation: is dened as giving inadequate representation to a particularly group in the society. Inclusivity: refers to something or an oce or body being open to everyone without limitation. 01 Documentary Themes t has been many years since Nigeria’s return to democracy, but women are still secondary in Nigeria’s male-dominated political sphere. In this documentary, the underrepresentation of women in Nigeria in the political I space is brought to the fore. Women Have Not Always Been Secondary Historical evidence shows that Nigerian women have, for long, been playing a crucial role in the political life of the country, and this has contributed in no small measure to shaping the political system of the nation. In the pre-colonial era, the likes Queen Amina of Zaria and Queen Idia of Benin illustrated how women led kingdoms successfully. In the colonial times, the women who led the Aba riots in 1929 were revered as they brought about signicant change. In the post-colonial era, there were women who were prominent in the political space such as Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Marget Ekpo, Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, Janet Mokelu and Wuraola Esan. Cultural and Religious Stereotypes In Nigeria, societal and gender roles are informed by cultural and religious stereotypes. Traditionally, men are the natural leaders of the society. As such, a woman entering into politics is seen to challenge the traditional order. These cultural and religious stereotypes include the notion that the woman’s place and role is limited solely to home and family and her input is not relevant to decisions on governance and the economy. Thus, the man is pushed forward for leadership roles and women subjugated to supportive roles. Money As A Significant Barrier to Women Participation and Representation When undertaking the interviews of the policymakers and legislators, it was apparent that money and lack of nances are a major challenge to women running for oce. Although, politics parties have taken steps to provide free nomination forms to women aspiring to positions, it is found that this does not fundamentally address the nancial challenges that come with contesting for elective oce. Proered solutions to counter this challenge include fundraising, improved internal party democracy and building of a strong support base at the grassroots level. Women As Their Own Worst Enemy When the issue of women participation and representation is addressed, it is oen suggested that women do not support each other. It was found that this might be a misconception as legislators and policymakers recounted instances where women were their greatest supporters. It was also highlighted that this is a narrative that is commonly adopted to discourage women. 02 Documentary Themes Quotas and Advocacy as Solutions Numerous respondents suggested that the creation of a quota system or institutionalizing the 35% armative action is a guaranteed way to increase women representation. In addition, increased advocacy to address the challenges and drive inclusive policy decisions was also suggested. Generally, the importance of grassroots politics was emphasized. Benefits of Increased Women’s Representation • Improved policy changes • Improved economic growth • Enhanced peace building • Improved relations across party lines • A more egalitarian society • More socially friendly legislation that improve the quality of life such as laws on education, gender-based violence, employment policies, etc. • Women are more likely to allocate resources to areas that are crucial to human development outcomes, such as health, sanitation, basic education, agriculture, and childcare. • Women are more likely to exhibit traits such as empathy, inclusiveness and an open negotiation style - all seen as positive transformative leadership traits. • Women’s role as sister, wife and/or mother helps them bring unique perspectives to politics and decision-making Discussion Questions 1. What does the word inclusivity mean to you? 2. Where you raised with a pre-conceived notion of the role of the girl child? 3. Do you think the Nigeria’s political system is ready to have more women at the helm of aairs? Why or Why not? 4. Can a woman be both a family gure and a political gure? Or does she have to sacrice one for another? 5. Do you think women are shut out from political spaces? 6. Do you think women are their own enemies? 7. Who do you consider to be strong female political gures in Nigeria? 8. What do you think are the challenges and issues aecting women participation and representation in politics? 9. Do you believe that the challenges and issues aecting women participation and representation in politics can be resolved? Why or Why not? 10. Are you aware of any eort or measures by the government or interest groups to address underrepresentation of women? 11. If yes, do you think these measures are adequate or have been eective? 12. What are the likely ways to improve women’s representation in politics? 03 Profiles of Interviewees Sen. Biodun Olujimi Sen. Biodun Olujimi is the Deputy Minority Whip in the Nigerian Senate representing Ekiti South Senatorial District and on the Platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. She is an astute politician who has served at dierent levels of government. She was the Deputy governor of Ekiti State between 2005 and 2006 and was a member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2005. Prior to delving into politics, Sen. Olujimi had a successful career in journalism having obtained a Diploma in Journalism from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism as well as a degree in Political Science and a postgraduate degree in Public Relations and Marketing from the University of Abuja. She worked with several media outts such as the Nigerian Tribune, Nigerian Post and Telecommunication, Nigerian Television Authority and DBN Television. Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje Hon. Nnenna Ukeje is the Member representing Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State, Nigeria at the Federal House of Representatives. She was elected into this position in 2007, re-elected in 2011 and 2015. She was born into the family of Captain Elendu Ukeje who was a decorated pilot of the Nigerian Air force and Nigerian Airways and Hon. Justice Roseline Ukeje, a retired Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. She currently serves as the Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Aairs. She has a degree in Education from the University of Lagos. Prior to her political career, she had a successful career in the hotel management industry. Hon. Ukeje is noted for her stance on diplomatic relations between Nigeria and other nations. Hon. Evelyn Omavowan Oboro Hon. Evelyn Oboro is a member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituencies of Delta State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). She is currently serving as the Chairman, House Committee on Women in Parliament. Her legislative interests border on constituency projects, human capital development and making of people oriented laws. She targets to take as many youths and women as possible, o the street by assisting them to earn a living through skill acquisition and empowerment.