Gendered Political Violence and Women’s Legislative Participation in Nigeria: A Multivariate Analysis

This study investigates the relationship between gendered political violence and women's participation in legislative politics in Nigeria, using a multivariate analytical approach to examine whether states with higher levels of violence against female political actors record lower rates of female candidacy, electoral success, and legislative retention. Gendered political violence, encompassing physical attacks, harassment, online abuse, and threats directed specifically at women because of their political activities, has been identified in comparative politics research as a significant structural barrier to women's political participation, yet systematic empirical analysis of this relationship in the Nigerian context is limited. Using a quantitative design, the study constructs a state-level dataset combining data on incidents of violence against female political actors sourced from National Democratic Institute monitoring reports, Independent National Electoral Commission candidate data disaggregated by gender, and legislative retention rates for female legislators across four electoral cycles from 2011 to 2023. Multiple regression analysis is applied to estimate the independent effect of gendered political violence on female political participation outcomes, controlling for state-level economic development, party type, and geopolitical zone fixed effects. The feminist political theory and the political violence-participation nexus literature provide the analytical framework. Findings reveal a statistically significant negative relationship between gendered political violence incidence and female legislative participation rates at the state level, with the effect particularly pronounced in states in the North West and North East geopolitical zones. Recommendations include dedicated electoral security provisions for female candidates, legal criminalisation of political intimidation based on gender, and party-level codes of conduct on gender-based political harassment. Keywords: gendered political violence, women's participation, legislative politics, Nigeria, feminist political analysis