Public Perception Of Women Exclusion In Political Representation And Appointments In Enugu State

Women in Nigeria seem to constitute more than fifty percent of the population, yet they are relegated to the background. They seem to have occupied the backseat in the mainstream political process, representation and appointments compared to their male counterparts especially in Enugu state. For a nation to grow and develop, women must be actively involved in governance. This paper examines the public perception of women exclusion in political representation and appointments in Enugu State. Qualitative methods such as interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were employed to gather information from participants of 18 years and above across the three senatorial zones of the state. The liberal Feminist Theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. Data collected were transcribed and analysed thematically. Results show that cultural expectations, religion and socio-economic status(income) have been the causes of women's political timidity in Enugu state. Findings also show that educational level, residence, fear of being initiated into occultic associations, night meetings, use of thuggery in election and others tend to scare women from seeking political appointments or elective positions. The paper however recommends among other things an effective sensitization of women to take more visible roles in politics, building synergy with key political stakeholders and laying more emphasis on women education.