Almost half of Nigerians say men make better leaders and should be elected rather than women, a recent Afrobarometer survey indicates. Only a slim majority say women should have the same chance as men of being elected. Support for the empowerment of women in political leadership is lowest in the North West zone, among uneducated Nigerians, and among men.
As today marks International Women’s Day, these findings speak to deep-seated concerns among Nigerian activists that women are largely marginalized in the country’s political processes. The 2015 general election, for instance, saw the election of only 21 female legislators to the Senate and House of Representatives, less than 5% of the total of 469.
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