RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS VIS-À-VIS THE ELECTORAL ACT 2022: MYTH AND REALITY

Abstract

The bane and clog in the wheel of women socio-political and socio-economic development had surfaced sinceantiquity of patriarchal hegemony. Even as organization and government of human society has been bedeviled withseries of transformations and much now is the democratic setting, the problem subsists. The prospect is believed tohave anchorage on women’s engagement in government leadership through the electoral process. However, theprospect is short-lived with a less viable electoral law in addressing women’s participation in the electoral process.Stakeholders from different quarters have identified the loopholes in the electoral laws and espoused the call foramendment, just like the case of the recent electoral law amendment. However, unsolved puzzle is whether the newelectoral law would address this problem of poor women participation in the electoral process. Therefore, thebroad aim of this study was to examine the rights of women to participate in elections vis-à-vis the new ElectoralAct based on the myth and reality. The main sources of data collection were various legal documents and materials,both from the library and internet. The finding of the study, among others, was that the new electoral law, thoughin perspective, has not made any remarkable input to the perennial agitations of women for effective and increaseparticipation in elections. Recommendations followed, among others, that obnoxious legislation, judicial decisionsreached per incuriam, and customary law repugnant to natural justice should be manifestly jettisoned and a newcourse of action and approach be taken to effectively combat women’s challenges in politics and practicallyintegrate them accordingly. It was concluded that women on their own should play their roles with all sincerity ofpurpose and they should be able to give good and qualitative leadership when called upon to take positions ofpower just like they are expected to do in the home front. Finally, this study was not just significant to scholars ofjurisprudence, feminism and human rights, but also to legal practitioners, politicians and socio-political scientists,as well as the judges/justices in any case relating to women electoral rights.