The Personal Is Political For Women In Politics

The personal is political” is a popular feminist slogan that emerged in the late 1960s and became central to the feminist movements of the 1970s. This concept fundamentally changed how personal experiences and societal structures were perceived, arguing that personal experiences are often rooted in broader social and political contexts.

Often attributed to Carol Hanisch, a feminist activist who wrote an influential essay of the same title in 1969, Hanisch herself noted that the phrase was coined as a rallying cry during feminist consciousness-raising sessions. These were gatherings where women shared their personal experiences, realizing common patterns that highlighted systemic issues rather than isolated personal problems. This sharing helped uncover the political nature of seemingly personal issues, like domestic labour, childcare, and reproductive rights.

As humans, we are all products of our socialization. Hence, personal experiences often reflect the political structures that we belong to and the ideologies that we project. Personal experiences, particularly those of women, are often shaped by broader social, political, and economic structures. For example, issues like domestic violence, workplace discrimination, and reproductive rights are not just individual concerns but reflect systemic inequalities and power imbalances.

As women, there is an interconnection of our experiences in the personal and public spheres that challenges the traditional distinction between the personal (private) and political (public) spheres. This is because personal issues are often influenced by public policies and societal norms, making them inherently political. By sharing these personal stories, individuals can recognize common struggles and unite to demand change.

This collective awareness empowers marginalized people including women and persons living with disabilities to challenge the status quo, advocate for policy changes and underscores the idea that personal struggles are often tied to systemic oppression. This intersectionality, examines how various forms of oppression intersect and helps to understand how different personal experiences are shaped by multiple layers of identity and power, address systemic inequalities and promote social justice. It serves as a reminder that personal narratives can be powerful tools for political change and that these experiences can lead to significant policy changes, including laws addressing domestic violence, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination in the workplace.

Politically Endangered Species

Globally, women face all forms of reprisals and backlash for being vocal and for participating in public or political life mostly seen as the exclusive domain of men. Traditional politics, which often overlooks the impact of public policies on individual lives largely excludes women and when women attempt to participate, they are met with resistance. Hence the call by women and social justice advocates for a more inclusive political agenda that addresses the needs and concerns of marginalized groups.

As the US faces the exciting and daunting possibility of a first female racially diverse female President in VP Kamala Harris, social and traditional media has been inundated with support and antagonism from men, women and political parties. For a nation that has had over 200 years of uninterrupted democracy, one would expect the prospect of a female President to be acceptable to many if not all.

In Nigeria, there are still no female governors, some states have no female parliamentarians and there has never been a female President or Vice President. Nigeria currently ranks 54th at the bottom five with Liberia, The Gambia, Benin and Algeria with representation shamefully hovering around 5 to 11 per cent on the table for women’s representation in African parliaments. Rwanda, Senegal, Mozambique, South Africa and Burundi sit proudly among the first five with representation of women at an average of 40 and 50 per cent in both houses of parliament.

Senator Natasha Akpoti’s experience in Senate last week reflects deep patriarchal resentment against women in politics and challenges the very essence of our existence as women in a democratic society. That kind of behaviour and speech is unbecoming of the office and person of the Senate President and should not be tolerated.

The denigration of her person by likening her contribution on the floor of the Senate to that of “night club” did not attract the kind of vitriol it would have generated if it came from a women. Save for the calls for apology by women’s groups all over the country, which generated an apology from the Senate President, no action has been taken by the Senate and other parliamentarians for the demeaning statement to Senator Akpoti. Perhaps it is because many of them (mostly men) in the chambers consider her and other women as usurpers who should be home or in market places at best rather than sharing the elevated hallowed chambers with men.

This is not the first time a woman has been insulted in parliament. In 2016, Senator Dino Melayo and the current First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu also had an altercation where the former threatened to beat and rape her. In 2023 when a woman contested and was in the lead for governor in one of the states in the North, several religious leaders and adherents began propaganda quoting various religious texts to challenge the leadership role of women as being against religious tenets.

A Woman’s Place Is In Parliament Too

These struggles for power and control continue to be tilted in favour of the male gender resulting in a huge gap between men and women particularly because of the underlying social norms that relegate women to limited public and private spaces. Nigeria and even Africa’s gender inequalities are mostly about spaces, who belongs where, who has more authority or power, who heads a family unit, who controls resources, who defines state priorities and the nature of participation.

Senator Akpoti fought tooth and nail to earn her place in the Senate. She and the few women continue to face discrimination, harassment and resentment from men in power who see them as out of place in political office. Only through concerted efforts can Nigeria realize the vision of a society where gender equality is not just an aspiration, but a lived reality for all.

A forward-looking agenda must include moving from male dominated, traditionally defined and religiously controlled spaces to a more ‘egalitarian’ society which would ensure equitable access for all members of the public.

An Eagle Can’t Fly With One Wing

Just as an eagle requires both wings to soar, a society needs the full participation and empowerment of all its members, regardless of gender, to achieve its highest potential. When one gender is marginalized, it limits the entire society’s progress. Men and women bring different perspectives, skills, and strengths to the table. Harnessing these complementary roles can lead to more innovative solutions and holistic development.

Despite years of being ruled and governed by men predominantly, Nigeria remains a nation preforming below capacity. The key to ensuring the eagle does not continue to flap only one wing in its efforts to fly lies in fostering an inclusive democratic space where men and women, young and old regardless of their religious, ethnic and political inclination have a chance to contribute to nation building.

When a few brave women like Senator Natasha Akpoti finally scale societal and political hurdles to participate in governance, they must be encouraged rather than seen as deviants going against the norm. That’s why politics is very personal for women because decades of exclusion have ensured that women’s voices are a little higher than a whisper in many corridors of power.

Until then, this eagle called Nigeria will never truly take off!