Ahead of the 2019 general elections, a report has shown that majority of Nigerians do not trust women to be elected as leaders.
Almost half of those that commented said men made better leaders and should be elected instead of women.
This was contained in a recent Afrobarometer Survey conducted by CLEEN Foundation and released yesterday in Abuja.
The report also shows that a slim majority say women should have the same chance as men in leadership positions.
The report which came on the heels of the International Women’s Day, said: “These findings speak of deep-seated concerns among Nigerian activists that women are largely marginalised in the country’s political processes. Support for the empowerment of women in political leadership is lowest in the North West, among uneducated Nigerians, and among men.”
According to the report, the 2015 general elections, for instance, saw the election of only 21 female legislators to the Senate and House of Representatives, less than five per cent of the total of 469.
In the key findings, the report shows that a slim majority of Nigerians (55 per cent) “agree” or “strongly agree” that women should have the same chance as men of being elected to political office, while almost half (45 per cent) of Nigerians say men should be elected rather than women.
“While more than two-thirds of women (68 per cent) favour a fair chance for female candidates, only about four in 10 men (41 per cent) agree. Support for women leaders rises, but dramatically, with respondents’ education level, ranging from 46 per cent of those with no formal education to 58 per cent of those with post-secondary qualifications,” the report said.
