Young Women Demand Greater Political Power, Say Participation Is Not Translating Into Leadership

BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

Young Nigerian women involved in politics and civic activities have raised concerns over the barriers keeping them away from key leadership and decision-making positions, despite their growing involvement in campaigns, advocacy and grassroots mobilisation.

The women identified patriarchy, weak mentorship opportunities, limited political networks, unsafe political environments and restricted access to party structures as some of the factors preventing them from turning political participation into meaningful leadership.

They spoke during an online dialogue, “How Patriarchy and Political Networks Shape Young Women’s Political Participation,” organised by Nenkus Tongs and Peace Dukas following their involvement in a youth-led social media campaign focused on women’s participation in elections.

The discussion brought together young women to share their experiences and examine why women who are active during election campaigns often struggle to secure nominations, appointments and positions where important political decisions are made.

The dialogue followed a training organised by the Fundación para la Internacionalización de las Administraciones Públicas (FIAP, F.S.P.), in partnership with FactCheckAfrica, under the European Union Support to ECOWAS in Peace, Security and Governance Project.

Data presented during the engagement challenged the idea that young women are uninterested in politics. Women made up 96.7 per cent of participants, while 73.3 per cent were between 18 and 35 years old.

The figures also showed that 73.3 per cent were already involved in politics, governance, advocacy or community leadership, while another 23.3 per cent said they were interested in becoming politically active.

Patriarchal attitudes and social expectations emerged as the most commonly cited obstacle, accounting for 33.3 per cent of responses, while inadequate access to mentorship followed with 23.3 per cent.

For Tongs, the figures point to a structural problem rather than a lack of interest among young women.

She said young women were already contributing to political activities by mobilising communities, supporting campaigns and advocating for issues, but their involvement often ended before they reached positions of influence.

“Participation does not always translate into access to leadership, nominations or decision-making spaces,” she said.

Tongs called on political parties to develop clear pathways that would allow young women who demonstrate leadership and commitment to advance within party structures.

She argued that women should not be treated mainly as election-period mobilisers, saying those who have built strong grassroots networks and demonstrated leadership should have opportunities to progress into decision-making roles.

Participants also spoke about social expectations that place greater responsibility for caregiving and family duties on women, while political leadership continues to be largely perceived as a male domain.

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Some said young women who play significant roles during campaigns are often told to “wait for their turn”, even when they have gained considerable political experience and demonstrated leadership abilities.

They argued that rallies, campaign mobilisation and grassroots work should serve as stepping stones to political leadership rather than become the highest level of participation available to young women.

Dukas said political parties and leaders needed to engage young women throughout the political cycle instead of relying on them mainly during elections.

She identified mentorship, political education, networking and access to decision-making structures as important tools for preparing young women for leadership.

According to her, political parties should create environments where young women can build relationships, understand internal party processes, contest positions and have their contributions taken seriously.

The participants also drew attention to security concerns surrounding political participation, particularly violence, intimidation and online harassment.

They said such threats could discourage women from expressing their views publicly or building visible political profiles.

The increasing use of manipulated digital content, including deepfakes, was also identified as an emerging danger, with participants warning that women in public life could be targeted with gender-based misinformation and digitally altered content.

Another concern raised was the limited inclusion of women in nominations for elective and appointive positions despite their contributions to political movements and grassroots mobilisation.

The participants consequently called for political parties to establish regular mentorship and political education programmes that would equip young women with practical knowledge of party structures, nomination procedures and political leadership.

They also advocated stronger internal targets and mechanisms for increasing the representation of young women in party leadership and decision-making bodies.

Beyond party reforms, the women called for stronger networks linking young female political aspirants with experienced mentors who could provide guidance and help them navigate political structures.

They further demanded clearer and more transparent routes to elective and appointive positions, arguing that qualified women should be given a fair opportunity to compete.

The dialogue also stressed the need for stronger measures against political violence, online abuse, intimidation and gender-based attacks.

At the heart of the discussion was a widening gap between being involved in politics and having political power.

The participants maintained that young women should no longer be viewed merely as voters, campaign workers or grassroots mobilisers, but as potential leaders capable of influencing policies, shaping political decisions and occupying positions of authority.