Ali Baba, the stand-up comedian and actor from Nigeria, recently spoke out about why women tend to avoid politics. Following the recent presidential election that took place on February 25th, 2023, the comedian stated, “See why women run away from politics? Women don’t want to be part of a flawed system. Or lie to be in a position of service… and the few women who brave it are frustrated out”.
Ali Baba’s statement implies that women are hesitant to get involved in Nigerian politics because they do not want to be associated with a broken system. This is understandable given the current state of Nigerian politics; corruption is rampant, and the political climate is incredibly tense. It would make sense then that many women would want to stay away from such an environment in order to protect their own reputation and safety.
According to the United Nations Women office, only 10% participating in the 2023 general elections in Nigeria are women. This suggests that even when given an opportunity, many women still choose not to enter into politics due to the current state of affairs in Nigeria. This could be due to lack of confidence or fear of backlash from male politicians or critics, something which Ali Baba acknowledges in his statement.
There needs to be more representation from female politicians at all levels of government, as well as laws and policies that protect them from discrimination or harassment while on the job. Additionally, more needs to be done at both the grassroots level and within government institutions themselves in order for women’s voices to truly be heard and valued within Nigeria’s political sphere.
The popular comedian has offered an interesting perspective on why so many women avoid getting involved in Nigerian politics; namely, because they do not want to participate in a system riddled with corruption and deception.
