Why Are Women Disappearing From Politics? – MattersThatMatter

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Why Are Women Missing From Power? The Abia State Case Study 🇳🇬.

In this episode, we dive into a powerful HBS-supported report titled “Women’s Political Participation and Representation in Local and State Elections: Impact of Women’s (Non) Participation – A Case Study of Abia State, Nigeria.”Despite making up nearly half the population, Nigerian women remain largely excluded from political leadership, and Abia State is a prime example. Once a leader in female political representation (2011–2015), Abia has had zero women in its State House of Assembly since 2019.

Guest: Jide Ojo Jide Ojo holds a B.Sc degree from University of Lagos and a Master’s degree in Political Science (majoring in International Relations) at the University of Ibadan. He has been a development worker since 1998 and has worked for both local and international non-governmental organisations such as International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Democratic Governance for Development project). He has consulted for USAID-OTI, DfID (now FCDO), Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Development Technologies (DEVTEC), Nevanti Group, Heinrich Boll Foundation (HBF), European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), ActionAid Nigeria, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Leadership and Governance (USA). His strength lies in research, advocacy and training, particularly on democracy and good governance. He is a Board Member of Inclusive Friends Association, IFA. Vaneza Udegbe–Gregory is an accomplished sustainable development professional with a proven track record in leading impactful programs across complex, cross-functional environments. She brings deep expertise in project design, delivery, and management—combined with strong competencies in grant writing, budgeting, and capacity building. Her work is grounded in a firm commitment to gender equality, social inclusion, and conflict-sensitive development. Vaneza has led and supported numerous interventions focused on gender issues, particularly women’s political participation, empowerment, and protection in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Her efforts have contributed to strengthening women’s voices in governance and expanding access to decision-making spaces in communities across North-East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. She is also skilled in conflict management and stabilization, ensuring that programming in volatile regions is both inclusive and responsive to local needs. Her leadership style is collaborative, results-driven, and grounded in empathy and cultural competence. Vaneza holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Sheffield. Passionate about advancing gender equity from an early age, she continues to champion women’s rights and inclusive development through her professional and advocacy work.