West Africa: Female Politicians Express Need for Greater Political Voice in W. Africa

Dakar — More than 200 West African elected officials and civil society leaders have converged on Dakar this week for a conference on female leadership. As parity laws bring more and more women into local and national governments, experts say it isn't translating into improved policies on so-called women's issues like health, women's rights and development.
Despite improvements in women's participation in local and national governments in some countries, women remain largely excluded from democratic processes in most West African countries.
In Nigeria, for example, just 15 out of 745 local leadership positions are held by women. Elected female officials account for less than five percent of Nigeria's Senate and National Assembly.
This is in stark comparison to Senegal, where 44 percent of parliamentary seats are held by women. Many experts attribute the high number of female Senegalese leaders to a May 2010 parity law, which requires the equal participation of men and women in government.
Henrietta Akaaka is the president of Africavance, a Nigeria-based pro-democracy group that works to promote women's participation in government.
"Women's full participation in public affairs and nation building is a fundamental condition for enduring democracies," she said. "It is therefore not in doubt that the access to leadership and decision making positions remain key to development. Parity of affirmative action; this is the only way we women can fully participate in the social and economic development of our various communities, regions and nations at large."
Akaaka said that including more female leaders in politics could mean an improvement in social protection and development programs, for both women and children, such as education and health.
Unfortunately, women face many challenges when it comes to gaining access to and then exerting political power.
One of the biggest obstacles is overcoming traditional cultural and religious expectations. Many women in Africa are raised to be neither seen nor heard outside the home. Men often discourage or even outright forbid their wives to enter into careers, particularly those in politics, which are viewed as a "man's work."