Influence of Communication on the Political Participation of Grassroots Women in Selected Areas of North Central Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of communication on the political participation of grassroots women in selected areas of North- Central Nigeria. Anchored on the feminism theory, the study deployed survey as method and a questionnaire served as research instrument. By a combination of simple random sampling, purposive sampling, proportionate sampling, and qualified volunteer sampling techniques, 400 adult female respondents were selected from three rural communities in each of Nasarawa State, Niger State, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Findings revealed that grassroots women in the selected areas of North- Central Nigeria were well aware of their chances of political participation; to a large extent, they perceived the mass media as projecting Nigerian female politicians in a positive light; they showed a high level of readiness to participate in politics at their localities, attending to political messages to the extent of being persuaded to show interest in political engagement; the level of communication had a significant influence on the level of their participation in politics; in as much as grassroots women in the selected areas were information- rich about their rights to political participation, gendered beliefs have had a significant influence on their exclusion from participating in politics. Recommendations made include encouraging women to run for political office, even at grassroots levels; promotion of the advantages of women in leadership by the mass media; discouragement of negative gendered beliefs about women and efforts (by various authorities) towards the obliteration of cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions that denigrate women.