Inclusion in Politics: Achieving Gender Parity

Gender equality is as much as zero hunger, a goal expected to be attained as part of the SDGs. The evident gap in gender inclusion prompted the adoption of this as one of the SDGs. The political space happens to be one of the fields in guarding the attainment of this goal. It has become a great tool in eliminating this gender gap as society seemingly shows no gender parity in the field. Evident efforts are made to ensure inclusion and gender parity in the political space.

Such effort could be seen when a particular political party in Nigeria waved off the “nomination fee” for female aspirants while making it compulsory for the male. This is a great step taken to improve the participation and interest of the gender in politics. In as much as general goals and targets are being put in place by the UN, individuals have roles to play in encouraging the less represented gender into politics. This also involves ending any form of gender discrimination. Society has made it seem like one gender has the inability of being suitable for inclusion in the political space probably due to physical strength, life, and gender roles. This proper awareness and education need to be emphasized. Some years ago, a woman was vying for the office of the presidency and had only one vote during the delegate elections(one vote she voted for herself). This is a clear indication of how society has established a huge gap in gender.

As a fact, society comprises both genders and therefore, there should be equal inclusion of both genders in the political space for direct access and communication. Meanwhile, with the efforts put in place, there is an improved involvement of women in the political space. Currently, one of the gubernatorial aspirants of Adamawa State is a female which will be the first in Nigeria (if she wins). This portrays that a step has been reached and by 2030, more barriers would have been broken.

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