By: Hillary Eyram Anyomi
Introduction
Political participation is a fundamental human right that all persons need to enjoy regardless of gender. According to the OHCHR, political participation is important for the rule of law, democratic governance and social inclusion. However, gender disparities in access and outcomes persist, hindering increased female participation. The current state of gender inequality in politics is still very wide in politics and this is as a result of several factors including traditional gender roles, institutional barriers set up by male-dominated area and some economic barriers. This policy paper will further explore the limitations, importance of female political participation and how effective policies and actions can alter the political demographics to drive gender parity and inclusion in politics.
The State of Gender Inequality in Politics
Following the findings from the Global Gender Gap Report in 2024, the world has a long way to go in attaining gender equality in politics. The report suggests that given the current state of affairs, the world has 134 years to achieve gender parity in politics. Among the four major indexes covering educational attainment, health and survival, political empowerment and economic participation, political empowerment had the lowest parity score at 22.5%. Below is the visual representation of the indices:
1
Performance By Region
Across regions, the Middle East and Northern Africa rank very low in political empowerment at 10.8%, followed by Central Asia and Eastern Asia both at a score of 14.6%. Sub-Saharan Africa has a score of 22.4%, close to the average score. Although not very impressive, it signifies a growing appreciation and representation of women in Africa’s political affairs.
Several factors account for the low political empowerment scores observed in regions like the Middle East, Northern Africa, Central Asia, and Eastern Asia. Cultural norms and traditional gender roles are the major explanatory factors in determining these regional scores. Although faced by women across different parts of the world, culture and traditional gender roles have been observed to be more prevalent in these regions, hence their relatively lower scores.
Barriers to Equity in Political Participation
Cultural Norms and Traditional Gender Roles
Most people believe that men make better political decisions than women. These stereotypes create significant barriers for women to engage in politics and government institutions (UNDP, 2023). This often restricts women’s participation in public and political life, confining them to domestic responsibilities and limiting their political engagement.
Economic Barriers
Economic disparities also play a significant role, with women facing financial dependence and limited access to resources necessary for running political campaigns. The lack of financial support to fund the high cost of campaign financing hinders women’s ability to fund political campaigns and participate fully in political life. Within political parties, male dominance and lack of support for women candidates create additional challenges.
Institutional Barriers
Institutional barriers such as male-dominated political party dynamics and biased media representation focusing on appearance over policies hinder women’s political participation. Inadequate legal frameworks and institutional barriers further impede progress, as there is often a lack of laws promoting gender equality or the presence of laws that restrict women’s rights.
Additionally, educational barriers, such as limited access to education and lower literacy rates among women, particularly in rural areas, reduce opportunities for political involvement. Social stigma, harassment, and security concerns can also deter women from participating in politics, as they face the risk of violence and social backlash. These factors collectively contribute to the persistently low levels of political empowerment for women globally.
Why Does Female Representation Matter?
According to the United Nations Development Programme, it recommends some reasons why these barriers women face in their political participation must be eliminated:
Reduced Violence
Higher women’s political participation correlates with lower civil war risk and less state-perpetrated violence. When women enter the political scene, they are more likely to advocate for policies and changes that bring peace rather than conflicts and seize more power through civil wars or disagreements.
Accountable Governance
Women in political offices are more likely to be held accountable, leading to responsive and transparent governance. This transparency stems from the fact that women are percieved to be more trustworthy and committed to their roles, particularly in enhancing social welfare. There is also a certain level of responsibility that women bear in meeting public expectations and building trust among their constituents.
Unique Perspectives
Women’s lived experiences offer unique insights into social and gender issues regarding domestic violence, human rights, equal pay, etc. Women also tend to prioritise issues that directly impact their societies leading to policies that reflect the needs and concerns of their constituents. Their unique experiences and perspectives enable them to address gender-specific and social issues more effectively.
Policy Interventions for Promoting Gender Inclusion
Legislation and Policies
The implementation of gender quotas to ensure women’s representation in legislative bodies can go a long way to include more women in politics. Other forms of policies, such as enforcing anti-discrimination laws across all sectors, enacting equal pay legislation to reduce economic disparities, and providing parental leave policies to support shared childcare responsibilities can significantly promote gender inclusion.
Supportive Structures and Initiatives
By placing supportive structures and initiatives in place like leadership training and mentorship programs, women will be more encouraged to particpate in politics. Raising investments in women’s political journey by providing financial assistance to fund campaigns and pooling networks to garner voter support for female candidates can be another great way of promoting female inclusion. Affordable childcare services, and gender sensitisation programs can as well enhance women’s political participation and leadership.
Public Awareness and Advocacy
Public awareness and advocacy efforts, including media campaigns to challenge stereotypes, community engagement to support women’s rights, and civil society advocacy for gender-inclusive policies, can significantly promote women’s political participation. Using the media to support female candidates will help them to build more followers and instill confidence in the public. This will also inspire more women to reach for more political offices to bridge the exisiting gender gap in politics.
