Comparing and Contrasting the Gender Composition of the 2003 and 2007 National Assembly. Its Implication on the Growth and Development of the Nigerian Economy.

COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE GENDER COMPOSITION OF THE 2003 AND 2007 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN NIGERIA. ITS IMPLICATION ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECONOMY.  

ABSTRACT

Gender has become a major problem in Nigerian politics. Women have been politically considered as endangered species and their low participation in Nigerian government and politics is often associated with cultural, religious, economic constraints and male chauvinism.
Feminine gender self destructive factor in the decline of women participating in government affairs is often carpeted in sexist analyses. For instance, women account for sixty percent of Nigeria’s population and by implication, half of the nation’s electorates. This electoral power has not been converted to an assertive feminine electoral and political advantage over the years, and particularly in the 2003 elections.

1.1   INTRODUCTION
The objective of the paper is to highlight the importance of integrating gender issues or perspective in macroeconomic reforms and to evaluate how the gender composition of the 2003 and 2007 National Assembly has impacted on the development of Nigeria.
A nation’s population is usually almost evenly divided between males and females except under peculiar circumstances such as war or highly selective immigration which normally affect males more than females. Nigeria’s 1991 census, for example, indicates that males and females represent 50.04 and 49.96 percent of the population respectively. In general, women constitute about 50 percent of the population of any country.
However, throughout the ages, the sharing of power, wealth, influence, employment etc between men and women has never been close to equality. Even in the most advanced countries, gender inequality has remained a live issue. This notwithstanding, the role played by women in national development in all facets of human endeavour has been quite notable.
Since the 1930s, issue of gender and gender equality has been at the fore... [continues]

Read full essay