THE ROLE OF BROADCAST MEDIA IN MOBILIZING WOMEN FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

The low rate of female participation in politics compared to that of their male counter- parts in Nigeria creates a need to examine the situation in this study, “The role of broadcast media in mobilizing women for political participation in Nigeria”. This study examines the problems, first, defining the importance of women to participate in politics. The survey research method was employed in this study and questionnaires were used for data collection, then the hypotheses were tested using chi-square statistical procedure to reach a definite conclusion. The results reflect that broadcast media have positive impact in mobilizing women to participate in politics. In summary, broadcast media is found wanting in fostering development for gender equality in politics. In recommendations, suggestion of ways to stimulate female participation was made by looking at practical examples of how this was done in the pre-colonial era. Finally, in conclusion, the study emphasizes that no sex or gender is more important than the other because in politics, intellectual ability counts more than physical energy.