Ayo Oladiran
Female students across Nigeria Universities are breaking the monopoly of male-dominated student union governments’ leadership. Hitherto the position of the President of Students Union government had been an exclusive reserve of male students while the Vice President position seemed to be the highest position attainable for female students. Cultural factors and lack of support had been major issues. But today, female students within the university systems are breaking such monopoly. Ayo Oladiran, a campus journalist from Lagos state University sent in this report. Additional reports from Rosemary Iyaji Olima; University of Maiduguri and , Adetunji Oluwafemi from Obafemi Awolowo University.
In June 2024, Blessing Alims emerged as the first female Student Union Government (SUG) President of the University of Calabar which is unarguably a groundbreaking victory for gender equality and female representation in campus politics in Nigeria.
Blessing Alims, 2024 President, University of Calabar students’ Union Government
Sharing her experience on a regional television station in Enugu, Blessing noted that she was told severally that although she was courageous, there was no way she would win and lead a union with over 5,000 students. According to statistics many a larger percentage of the numbers are males.
“Do you know what it means to be a female? You’re not fat. You’re so slim. Do you know the challenges that will come with this?” Blessing was told while being advised to go for less stressful positions like the Financial Secretary or General Secretary.
Over the years, female candidates on campus in Nigeria have been subdued to Positions like General Secretary and Financial secretary. However, the more courageous ones manage to contest and win the position of the Vice President but the position of the President has been seen as unattainable for females.
Not long after Blessing’s win in Calabar, the Federal University of Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) SUG also produced Olorunshola Abiodun Mary as its first female president, a position she got after defeating her male opponent Williams Kayode Samuel by 5,046 votes to 4,450 votes.
Would the win of these two females be just what females in other universities across Nigeria need to also start daring and contesting the position of Student Union President?
The less travelled road
For many female students on campus, the road to becoming the student union president is not one that is regularly travelled and there are several challenges along the way which are enough to discourage them from treading that path.
“It’s just the idea that women cannot attain such leadership positions…the criticism, and discouragement that comes with it. If you do not have the self-confidence to withstand that, you will be easily swayed. My dad also told me that I should step down because the environment favors men who come out for such positions,’ Blessing told Afia TV.
OlorunShola Mary Abiodun, President, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti 2024 Students’ Union Government
For Olorunshola Mary Abiodun, the journey was tedious with lots of discouragement and rejections. “I faced rejections from many quarters before I could emerge. It took great determination to forge ahead and win” Olorunshola told a media platform recently
Kave Wandoro Beatriice,, Welfare director, University of Maiduguri students union Government
Similarly, Kave Wandoo Beatrice, the Welfare Director of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Student Union Government (SUG), believes that many females do not travel the path to top position in campus politics due to gender bias and fear of losing.
In her words, “female students are not aspiring for top positions in the student politics due to gender bias and to a point I will say due to fear of losing too. Also, most females believe that politics is for men not women”.
Of a slightly contradicting view is Mercy Oladiran, the 34th Vice President of the Lagos State University Students Union (LASUSU) who believes that women do aspire for top positions but due to the culture around women not being leaders they tend to already think they cannot achieve it.
“I think women do aspire for top positions in the union and depending on the kind of support they get they usually attain it. In LASU we have examples of the two female Union Speakers who had served in the past and the one who is serving now. Another example is the post of Vice President,” Mercy noted to this reporter.
Mercy Oladiran, Lagos state University Students union Vice President
Mercy further said, “There are several cultural factors within the society we find ourselves, women don’t usually get the opportunity to attain the highest positions in the executive side, but that gradually becoming issues of the past”
Just like the LASUSU VP, Kinefosi the Secretary General-Elect of the Great Ife Student Union believes that females not aspiring for top positions in the union is due to existing patterns they met on ground. It is worthy of note that Kinfeosi won the last election in an election that had three other male contestants. Kinfeosi had 4465 votes and her closest competitor had 1801 votes.
“There’s been a pattern of more males than females in most Union offices. So, much more than anything, I think the females have stayed back because that’s the pattern they met and there is a mindset that existing patterns can give with females having it in their subconscious that ‘it’s a men thing, let them do it,” Kinfeosi shared.
Within the Great Ife Students Union, Kinfeosi believes that over the years the Vice President office has been the highest attainable office for any females. So none had challenged the status qou till date. I do believe soon a female will be elected with time”.
Hope for the future
With the achievements of females in Campus Politics recently one can say there is hope for more female participation in the nearest future as other females have begun to see that what they considered unattainable might have just been a mindset problem.
“With what I’m seeing currently University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) will reach there soon. The coming SUG election would be a huge competition among the female population. UNIMAIID is getting there,” Kave Wandoo predicts.
For LASU, Mercy believes if the society can come to accept inclusivity and give equal opportunity to all genders then LASUSU would have more participation from females during election and hopefully provide a female president soon.
Photo credits: Ayo Oladiran and google
#Ayo Oladiran, Rosemary Iyaji Olima and Adetunji Oluwafemi are campus journalists from Lagos State university, University of Maiduguri and iobafemi Awolowo Universities.
