WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES AND THE CHALLENGES OF ACCESS TO POLITICAL OFFICE IN NIGERIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the challenges in access to political office by Women with Disabilities (WWDs) in Nigeria. This became necessary because of the degree of exclusion that affects WWDs and their ability to access political office in the country. Also, the study examined how different socio-economic, cultural and structural factors limit access to political office for women in this category. Its sources of data were basically qualitative as a systematic review of materials was used for this exercise. The research strategy was based on two topics: (1) access to political office; and (2) disability. In this study, women (older than 18 years) with different kinds of disabilities (physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities) were included. Studies were excluded if they were not peer-reviewed and had a focus on men with disabilities. Twenty-four articles met the inclusion criteria for the final review. In each study, participants noted various barriers to access to political office. The paper therefore recommends that the Nigerian State needs to formulate and implement policies that would not only capture the collective interests of WWDs but also pay attention to their preferences and choices. This would go a long way to provide non-discriminatory inclusion of WWDs in the day-to-day running of the country.