By Sharon Emephia
It is still International Women’s Month, and there have been numerous discussions, events, and programmes centred on the role of women in nation-building and society at large.
Various narratives and schools of thought have emerged regarding who is truly preventing or hindering more women from attaining positions of power, particularly in political leadership.
There have been many perspectives on why women’s participation in leadership, especially political leadership, has been declining significantly over the past few years.
The barriers include the exorbitant costs imposed by political parties, making the process inaccessible to many qualified women. Additionally, the timing of crucial political meetings, which are often held at night, proves inconvenient for many women. The patriarchal nature of society also plays a role, with men typically preferring to support their male counterparts, believing they can negotiate and make deals more effectively with them. While these issues are valid and contribute to the poor representation of women in political leadership in a country like Nigeria, my greatest concern lies elsewhere.
A major challenge, which is often overlooked, is the role of women themselves including some leading women’s groups that advocate for inclusion yet actively work against their fellow women who are qualified for leadership roles. These women do not hesitate to thwart and frustrate the ambitions of their counterparts for trivial, emotional reasons. This is the core issue I wish to address today.
As the scriptures rightly say, ‘A house divided against itself can never stand.’ An external enemy is easier to defeat. To borrow the words of former Nigerian President, His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, regarding the current political crisis in Rivers State, which led to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, declaring a state of emergency and suspending the democratically elected governor of the state, Sim Fubara, he referred to an old Indian proverb that states, and I quote,
*‘When someone is truly asleep, it is easy to wake them. But when someone is pretending to be asleep, it is almost impossible to wake them because they are aware of your attempts and resist being awakened.’* He explained that those in power across the three arms of government in Nigeria the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary know what is right but deliberately refuse to act in the national interest.
Relating this to the issue of women supporting women in Nigeria, how genuine is this support, and what percentage of qualified women actually receive backing from their fellow women during elections?
Hypocrisy is detestable. Reading through the scriptures, I noticed that Jesus Christ repeatedly rebuked people as ‘hypocrites.’ Before we call out men for sidelining us—failing to consider our multiple roles as women, wives, mothers, and caregivers when scheduling political meetings, we must first examine our own actions. Even men have observed this lack of solidarity among women and have capitalised on it as a strategy to sideline women from political leadership.
For instance, at an event marking International Women’s Day 2025, attended by the current President of the Nigerian Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, he remarked that when a woman contests an election, other women often prefer to vote for a man, regardless of the woman’s qualifications. What an indictment and a great shame!
I vividly recall the 2011 presidential primaries in Nigeria when Mama Sarah Jibril aspired to become the country’s first female president. She received only one vote at the party primaries. Just one vote! This occurred despite an intense nationwide campaign for women’s inclusion led by the then First Lady. The reality was shocking, did she truly cast the only vote for herself out of all the female delegates in attendance? This raises a critical question: How can issues affecting girls and women be prioritised when women are absent from decision-making tables?
Furthermore, women who believe they are destined for political leadership must seek proper training to navigate and excel in these positions. Politics is not an emotional endeavour, and no one will simply grant access to power based on gender or qualifications alone. Women must study the political landscape, develop emotional intelligence, and acquire the skills necessary to engage in lobbying and negotiation. By understanding the rules of the game and adapting their strategies while incorporating their unique strengths, women can achieve the desired results.
As International Women’s Month 2025 draws to a close and the message of women supporting women continues to be amplified across various platforms, this is a call to all Nigerian women to engage in self-reflection. We must stop playing politics with the urgent need to uplift and support young girls and women aspiring to leadership. Greater female representation in parliament and other decision-making bodies is essential to ensuring that issues affecting women receive the attention they deserve.
Let us be honest with ourselves. Woman to woman, Nigerian women, let us rise and take meaningful action, let’s ACCELERATE ACTION before it is too late.
Much love. 💕
