Poor Economic Status Hinders Women's Participation in Political Elective Positions: A Case Study of Taraba South Senatorial District

Abstract

Gender inequality in politics has been a debatable issue all over the world, in Africa and Nigeria in particular. The marginalization of women in elective positions by men in Nigeria poses a serious threat to the tenets of democracy. This paper aims to examine how poor economic status hinders women’s participation in political elective positions using a case study of Taraba South senatorial district. The paper employed a mixed-method descriptive cross-sectional survey research design and applied liberal feminist theory to the study. The sample size was 384 out of 660,220 men
and women of voting age. The respondents comprised electoral officers,
party officials, and party members. A validated structured questionnaire and key informant interview (KII) were used for data collection. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, and thematic analysis of KII. The study’s findings revealed that the inability of women to participate in elective positions in the Taraba South senatorial district is attributed to economic/financial power. The researchers recommend that certain elective positions be reserved exclusively for women.