By Juliet Umeh

Nigeria remains the only West African nation yet to meet the African Union’s target of 30 percent female representation in governance, according to recent findings presented by Mrs. Jesudunsin Olusanya.

The report, “An Overview of Women’s Representation in Nigeria’s Political Leadership and Governance,” outlines the stark underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics, where women make up just 7.3 percent of the Senate and 4.2 percent of the House of Representatives, as cited by the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report.

ARDA Development Communications, in partnership with UN Women and the Canadian government, recently hosted a media capacity-building workshop to address these disparities.

The event urged journalists to help shift perceptions by highlighting positive portrayals of women in leadership and encouraging increased female participation in politics.
The workshop also unveiled the Women Political Participation in Nigeria, AWPP, Handbook, which provides strategies for inclusive and stereotype-free media coverage of women leaders.

Olusanya emphasized that women’s participation is essential for Nigeria’s socioeconomic progress and called for policy reforms in line with the Maputo Protocol, CEDAW, and Nigeria’s National Gender Policy. She noted that structural barriers, from cultural traditions and media stereotypes to economic constraints and political biases, have marginalized women in leadership.
Addressing these barriers, she stressed, will create a more inclusive political landscape that recognizes women as equal contributors to national growth.

Media and communications expert Adebisi Adetunji also urged journalists “to counter stereotypes that often portray female leaders as overly authoritative,” noting that such biases deter public support for women in leadership roles.

Adetunji added: “that political parties should provide equitable opportunities for women in senior roles rather than confining them to traditionally minor positions.”

The AWPP initiative calls on media professionals to eliminate gender prejudice and actively promote gender equality in their reporting. This means creating diverse, ethical, and responsible content that not only portrays women positively but also advocates for policy changes to support women’s leadership journeys.

As Nigeria faces a critical juncture in gender representation, ARDA and UN Women are urging the media to play a transformative role, helping bridge the gender gap by inspiring and empowering the next generation of women leaders.