THE FACTORS CONSTRAINING WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN NIGERIAN POLITICS IN BENUE STATE: A SUMMARY OF TARKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

It is very important that in the past, societies socialization pattern have militated against women. Traditionally, in African societies women are seen as chattels to be owned, as kitchen managers and child bearing and rearing agents Aaucheazi 1991. The core of womens unique work includes those activities women perform as house wives and mothers, women are expected to produce life and take care of life also. There are lots unpaid services which they provide. These services and contributions are most of the time, not appreciated nor even acknowledge by the society.

All over the world women are subjected to physical and psychological abuse. They are made to believe that they are created mainly for the exploitation, gratification and satisfaction of male desires and fancies. Ndu 1994. Generally, women are regarded as second rate citizens. They are therefore not considered as fit for political participation and leadership in all ramifications. This explains why the delivery of a baby boy is greeted with celebrations while the birth of a girl is sometimes seeing as something wroth mourning. Furthermore, in parts of the Islamic world for example, midwives abadon a delivery if they realize that the child they have just delivered is of wrong sex. In such cases families and friends often whisper condolences instead of the customary gift given to a new born baby. Godwin 1995. In some parts of the world violence and discrimination against females begin even before birth. In India for example, the poorest village has ultrasound machines to determine the sex of a petus. Females are often aborted. Various research findings led to the conclusion that:

Women are a decentered denatural subspecies helplessly and almost inevitably by matrilineal and structures which pamper the male age Abati 1996:15.

1.1 A BRIEF HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TARKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

Tarka local government area was established in 1996. It is named after Chief Senator Sarwuan Tarka Nachi. Chief Tarka was a frontline politician and apostle of state creation. He is an indigene of Mbakor community in Jemgbagh axis of the Tiv of Benue state and a man from Mbachoughul district. The local government was created under the regime of the late Nigerian military head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha between 1991 and 1997.

1.2 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Tarka local government was part of the old Gboko local government area. The local government has three districts namely: Mbalahan, Mbachoughul, and Mbajir. The local government has two main seasons; the dry and wet season. It is located at the north of Gboko Local Government Area and shares boundaries with Guma to the north, Gwer Local Government to the west and Buruku to the east.

The local government people are mostly farmers, they produce yams, rice, soyabeans, cassava and guinea corn. Population estimates of Tarka Local Government Area is about eight thousand 80,000 people.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Social status generally refers to social honour and respect accorded to social groups. It also means the position of an individual in relation to another or others of the same class. In the nineteenth century, the rise of capitalism brought a lot of changes in the contemporary society, with reference to womens and mens relationship to work and family life. It became accepted that it was desirable for men to take sole responsibility of their families through their wages Madoc, Jones and Coates 1996. Consequently, the social pattern located women in the home and made the dependent on men. As a result, the class position of women tended to be driven from her husband or father, placing her in a subordinate position in which she is dependent on men for both economic, political and social status. This explains why such groups were unable to actively and effectively participate in Nigerian politics. Though they participate at some levels the critical roles of political leadership is denied women in our society. Yet the overall contribution of marginalized groups in many Nigerian societies is not in doubts. It is the above reasons that stimulates the research to investigate the factors real and unreal that militates against the participation of women in politics in our society.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

During the research, attempts will be made to address the following questions.:

1. To what extent are women involved in the political processes of their various communities in Nigeria.

2. To what extent is the participation of women in politics felt in our society and Tarka local government in particular.

3. Do women appreciate the efforts of government to encourage them to participate into politics

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages incurred by women as they participate into partisan politics of their communities

5. What can be done to improve women participation in our politics.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Public Administration as a subject of study serves as a bridge among many disciplines found in the school curriculum and should be considered important.

1. The study provides opportunity for the researcher to investigate into the right of women to aspire for public positions as well as to vote and be voted for. The study focuses on Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State.

2. The study is significant because it carries out investigations in a systematic and organized frame which checks the political behaviour of women in society and Tarka Local Government in particular.

3. The research also provides a basis for further inquiries and guide to those who care about politics in society and Tarka local government in particular.

The researcher therefore, hopes that the findings will be of great help to both men and women talk in our society. Readers on the other hand will be acquainted with facts concerning poor levels of women participation in our body polity.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This project work is going to be generalized on womens role in the society and at the same time limited specifically about womens poor participation in politics in Tarka Local Government Area.

Since the researcher is an indigene of Benue State in Tarka local government, he chose it as he is moved acquainted with the ugly trends against women participation in politics and the resultant negative effects. This does not however, mean that other local governments elsewhere are not victims of same practice of limiting women involvement in the political processes.

Also due to financial constraints, the researcher prefers a local government he could cover even by trekking since it is the smallest local government in the Tiv segment of Benue state. This will consequently favour the researcher to face other academic without excuse of time, under guise of research in a foreign environment.