THE ROLE OF RADIO IN MOBILIZING WOMEN FOR POLITICS IN NIGERIA

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title page                                                                   

Approval page

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Table of Content

CHATTER ONE                                                

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the study

1. Statement of the research problem
   1. Objective of the study
   1. Scope of the study
   1. Significance of the study
   1. Research question
   1. Research hypothesis
   1. Limitation of the study

1.9    Definition of the key terms

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1    Source of literature.

2.2    Nigerian women mobilization in the past.

2.3    Gender and politics.

2.4    Female politician and their achievement

2.5    Factors affecting women participation in politics

2.6    Nigeria women and the radio

2.7    Radio and its importance.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURE

• Introduction.
  • Design of the study.
  • Study population
  • Sample size and sampling techniques
  • Instrument of data collection.
  • Instrument validity and reliability

3.7    Administration of the instrument.

3.8    Data analysis technique

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS

4.1    Introduction.

4.2    Analysis of data.

4.3    Summary of the findings.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

5.1    Summary.

5.2    Recommendation.

5.3    Conclusion.

        References

        Appendix 1

        Appendix 2

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Women constitute a critical segment of the Nigerian population. They are active in the agriculture and economic sectors of the society and have also contributed immensely to the decolonization and general development of this great country.

        Women struggles, date back to the 19^th century when women like Amina zaria, madam tinubu of lagos , Olufomilayo ramson kuti of Abeokuta, maggaret ekipo and haji gaban Swabia among others, fought to give women the pride of place in Nigerian history.

After the struggle for independence was over and Nigeria became an independent sovereign nation women continued to contribute their quota in the post-independence match towards development and progress.

        In the area of politics, the above named amongst others contributed immensely to the mobilization and sensitization of women with a view to ensuring that women are involved in the politics of the country.

        At present, the issues pertaining to women have continued to draw a global attention with the result that the problems that impede their progress are currently being addressed concretely. Consequently, the quest for women empowerment has heightened the political consciousness of women. Some of them occupy strategic position in government where they have continued to prove their mettle. For instance Ruqoyat  Gbemisola Saraki, Dora Akuyili, oby Ezekwesili of due process fame, Ndi Okereke Onyilike,           

        Ngozi Okunji Iweala and Faridat Waziri Among others have undoubtedly distinguished themselves in their official assignment.

        The role of women in development has for long being taken for granted and relegated to the background. For a long time, politics in Nigeria has been played with the usual patronizing attitude which usually does not go far in enlighten women. Some of the factors employed are social and cultural practices women hitherto have been mis-interpreted to create biases against women. There is need for women to be properly oriented so that their numerical strength and voting power can be profitably galvanized and oriented towards empowerment of other women who will in turn look after the welfare of all other women by formulating gender sensitive loss to promote women cause.

        Radio plays a major role in mobilization women for politics in Nigeria for majority of women groups in Nigeria, improving the lots of Nigerian women is a prime target.

        The experience of the management of women is all facts of life is feasible to cultural practice of gender relations within the Nigeria society these practice have become acceptability of life and are not to be questioned.

        The radio, because it is cheap have become affordably easy access and have become a base means of mobilizing Nigerian women for politics.

        One thing that is glaring today is that some of the radio stations in Nigeria is the presence of Nigerian women has newsmaker. The women groups in Nigeria have the greatest task of carrying out enlightment campaign over the radio to educated Nigerian women as their right and what constitutes violation of such right, some of these women empowerment and participation include

• WOMEN IN NIGERIA (WIN)
• NIGERIA WOMENS RIGHT WATCH
• CIVIL RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE (CIBDDDOC).
• WOMEN’S CONSORTIUM OF NIGERIA (WOCON).
• NAWOS

The list is not exhaustive.

        The zonal workshop on women in governance and decision making network and working as a group was covered by the Imo state radio and radio Nigeria in Imo state. The zonal network groups are following capacity building framing activities designed to provide and contribute to the broader goal of empowering and advocating for the full participation of women and enlist ions potential women leader in governance and decision making. This interactive platform has been created in many parts of Nigeria expectation from the south eastern state of Nigeria and in particular from Imo state.

        At the zonal networking workshop that was held in Imo state, women were encouraged to take active parts in their unions to organize meeting with their leadership positive. Participants were also encouraged to organize awareness and skill acquisition programmers to enable them to contest and hold political offices

        Meanwhile, many radio station scattered all over Nigeria are coming up to address the culture of silence that has contributed to the absence of women in politics in Nigeria.

        In the area of information pertain to women in politics, our local Radio station are also coming up with beneficial information‘s in form of revamping the sector into a dynamic tools for facilitating effective women participation in politics.

        What is really the meaning of politics? Various scholars have different definition of politics some have defined it as a game of wits, all that begins and ends with government. Other say politics is essentially the art and science of government. That is, the study of the control, distribution and use of power over human activities in the society.

        The word politics is derived from the Greek word polis, which means

        ‘’City State”. Winter and bellows (1968) pointed out that Aristotle (384322BC) In his treatise on human associations stated that the most sovereign inclusive association is the polis which presupposes the establishment of government law-making, enforcement and  eliciting obedience from the members of the society. Aristotle observed that man is by nature a political animal. This means that politics permeates all human activities. It manifests in social, economic and cultural intersections among individuals and groups and transcends international frontiers.

        The obvious associated with the concept and practice of politics influenced the emergence of the Laswellian theory of politics, which states that politics is who gets what and how (Laswellien 1958).

        The Nairobi world conference to review and appraise the achievement of the UN Decade for women in 1985, and the Beijing fourth world conference on women in 1995, both had top on their Agenda issues concerning women and the media (Radio). These in conferences brought to the fore the importance of the media(Radio)  in the quest for gender  equity in development conference in spite these international conferences and policies aimed at gender friendliness  women’s participation in Nigeria politics is undermined by the way the media (Radio in particular) represent politics as an exclusively male domain.

        It is here posited that Radio could significantly influence the acceleration and acceptability of woman in politics.

1.2   STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM           

        It is not a hidden fact that women are underrepresented in the field of politics. This may be because of the basic assumption that ‘’a women’s place is in the kitchen’’ in other words her home duties and family responsibilities should be her sole priority, thereby underlining her active participation in national development in general.

Another assumption militating against female participation is that Female is biologically not designed for energy exerting and hazardous occupation.

This argument may not be true because, with the age of automation and revolution in decision making intellectual ability counts more than physical energy.

The issue of gender bias too contributes enormously to the low participation of women in politics. Bewerly  (1995),notes that the society assume that women should be mothers, school teachers, hairdressers, secretaries, nurses, maids and social workers only. Therefore, they do not need education not to talk of taking part in decision making. This believe is wrong as both men and women need and can pursue politics and projects in development, each in their own unique ways, alongside each other.

The home too is not left out in contributing to female’s lack of participation in politics. In the home, husband attributes can directly or indirectly influence the choices their wives made in either to enter into politics or not.

Many political parties, reflecting the more general conditions in the rest of society, do not easily accept or promote many women in their echelons, let alone permits women’s occupation of important positions within these parties. This issue is particularly important in view of Abdullah’s (1993) argument that to achieve women libration, it will be tacked within democratic movements.

Thus, if this issue is not looked into, women will be illiterates and be backward and left out in National development and premises.