Political Violence and Women’s Political Participation in Sokoto State, Nigeria
*1Aliyu Muhammad Rabah, 2Umar Ubandawaki, 3Umar Dantani & 4Murtala Marafa
*,2&3Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, Sokoto State University, Sokoto
4Department of History and International Studies, Faculty of Arts, Sokoto State University, Sokoto
Cite this as: Rabah, A. M., Ubandawaki, U., Dantani, U., & Marafa, M. (2026). Political Violence and Women’s Political Participation in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Rima International Journal of Education, 5(2), 246—258.
Abstract
This study investigates the forms, causes, and implications of political violence against women in Sokoto State, Nigeria, situating the analysis within broader national and regional dynamics. Drawing on secondary data from academic journals, electoral commission reports, government policy documents, NGO publications, media sources, and gender advocacy studies, the research adopts a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory design. Findings reveal that women face multiple forms of violence, including electoral intimidation, psychological abuse, cultural delegitimization, party-level exclusion, economic barriers, and digital harassment. These practices are driven by entrenched patriarchal political culture, political thuggery, weak law enforcement, economic dependency, religious misinterpretations, and educational inequality. The consequences of these dynamics are profound, contributing to women’s underrepresentation in decision-making institutions, policy imbalance in areas such as healthcare and education, weakened democratic legitimacy, and reinforcement of broader gender inequalities. The study highlights that political violence against women is not incidental but systemic, designed to silence female voices and preserve male dominance. Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive strategies, including electoral reform to criminalize gender-based violence, political party reform through quotas and reduced nomination fees, gender-sensitive security sector engagement, civic and religious advocacy for inclusive interpretations, economic empowerment initiatives, and responsible media practices.
Keywords
Political violence, women’s political participation, gender-based violence, Sokoto State and Nigeria
Reference
Abubakar, A. (2019). Women and political participation in Northern Nigeria. Journal of Gender Studies, 27(3), 45–60.
Aina, O. I. (2012). Women, culture and society in Nigeria. Ibadan University Press.
Alabi, T. A. (2023). Explaining the experience of political violence in Nigeria. Afrobarometer Working Paper No. 197.
Amadiume, I. (1997). Male daughters, female husbands: Gender and sex in African society. Zed Books.
Ballington, J. (2018). Violence against women in politics: Expert group meeting report and recommendations. UN Women.
Ballington, J., & Karam, A. (2005). Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers. International IDEA.
Daily Trust. (2025, April 25). The push to advance the participation of women in politics. Retrieved from Daily Trust.
Falola, T. (2021). Political Violence. In Understanding Modern Nigeria (Chapter 17). Cambridge University Press.
Fidelis, F. (2024). Challenges to women’s active political participation in Northern Nigeria. Religion and Policy Journal.
Ibrahim, J., & Salihu, A. (2020). Women in politics: The Nigerian experience. Centre for Democracy and Development.
Inter-Parliamentary Union. (2023). Women in national parliaments report.
Inter-Parliamentary Union. (2024). Women in national parliaments: World classification. Retrieved from IPU database.
Krook, M. L. (2020). Violence against women in politics. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford University Press.
Krook, M. L., & Mackay, F. (2011). Gender, Politics and Institutions: Towards a Feminist Institutionalism. Palgrave Macmillan.
Mba, N. (1982). Nigerian women in politics, 1980–1982. Ahmadu Bello University Press.
Muhammad, R. A. (2023, February 20). Gender equity: Sokoto’s move to empower women at grassroots. RM Times.
Nnoruga, J. N. (2025). Gender-based violence in Nigerian politics: Implications for democratic consolidation. Journal of Igbo Language, Literature, Culture and Religious Studies.
Okeke, I. (2021). Gender inequality and democratic participation in Nigeria. African Political Studies Review.
Okonjo, C. (1996). The role of women in Nigerian politics. African Studies Review, 39(2), 33–47.
Oluwatusin, A. O., & Daisi, S. A. (2023). Political Violence in Nigeria: 2023 Presidential Election in Perspective. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 28(9), 14–20.
Suleiman, I. (2017). The role of women towards political participation in Nigeria. American Economic & Social Review, 1(1), 15–44.
Tripp, A. M. (2019). Women and power in Africa. Journal of African Political Economy, 46(1), 1–21.
Umar, S. T. (2026). Gendered pathways to power: Women’s agency within patriarchal political institutions in Sokoto State. Development Journal of International Affairs, Political Economy and Humanities, 2(1).
UN Women. (2021). Preventing violence against women in politics: A global call to action.
UN Women. (2022). Violence against women in politics: Global perspectives.
United Nations. (1995). Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing.
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Waylen, G. (2014). Informal institutions, institutional change, and gender equality. Political Research Quarterly, 67(1), 212–223.
Young, I. M. (2000). Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford University Press.