Olubusola Olukorede Solomon

Durban University of Technology, South Africa

The Influence of Cultural Norms on Women’s Political Ambition and Ascension in Southwest Nigeria

Biography

Olubusola Olukorede Solomon (Mrs.) is a doctoral candidate at the International Centre of Nonviolence (ICON), Durban University of Technology, South Africa. She holds a master’s degree in Conflict, Peace and Strategic Studies with Distinction from Afe Babalola University, Nigeria. She previously served as an Assistant Research Fellow at the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) within the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an associate of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), Nigeria. Her research interests encompass peacebuilding, politics and elections, gender, women’s political representation in governance, gender-based analysis of interventions (GBAI), and social justice. Olubusola hopes to shape policy through interventions that bridge gender inequality in political representation, while working with stakeholders to promote peaceful electoral democracy in Nigeria and beyond.

Abstract

Despite its designation as an “African Giant,” Nigeria is considered a minor player in Africa and, to a significant extent, globally, in women’s political representation. This study expands understanding of the determinants and catalysts of this underwhelming situation in Nigeria. I examined how cultural norms shape women’s political ambitions and advancement within Southwest Nigeria’s ethnic society. The evidentiary basis comprises focus group discussions (FGDs) with ninety women in politics across four political parties in Ekiti State, Nigeria. I used reflexive thematic analysis to deconstruct the drivers of ambition and political progress among the participants through the lens of Social Role Theory. The primary themes include division of labour and role expectations, socialisation and stereotype formation, and the denominative ideals underpinning political party systems. The ethnic social norms of Southwest Nigeria delineate criteria for success: what should motivate women, what should influence that motivation, what major life decisions they should prioritise, and, crucially, what societal role they must assume. In this context, cultural norms are tangible, deliberate, potent, and persistent; integral constituents of Ekiti State and Nigeria’s governance framework. High political ambition and women’s advancement in politics, therefore, symbolise a break from cultural constraints. Family support, particularly spousal backing, is vital to this pursuit. These findings reinforce the understanding that political leadership is not an innate trait but a social construct, with significant implications for gender scholars and practitioners. Education and empowerment emerge as pivotal forces in reshaping women’s perceptions of politics and their capacity for participation and representation.