The marginalization of women in the political equation of the country remains the central challenge
of democracy in Nigeria. The problem has become a recurring decimal in the political landscape of
the country. Efforts have been made, both at the local and international levels, to redress this
problem and achieve parity between the two sexes. Yet, not much seems to have been achieved. This
paper examines the different forms of discrimination against women in the traditional society. It
interrogates the prevailing conviction that former President Obasanjo’s administration was gender
sensitive. Emphasis shall be on women in politics in Nigeria within the period 2003 to 2007. The
paper also considers the factors militating against active women participation in politics. It looks at
the efforts made so far to redress the imbalance from a global perspective, and finally takes a
position that, despite the fact that the number of women in electoral politics seemed to be on the
increase within the study period, they are still grossly underrepresented. Though the concept of
politics is broadly used here, the work is, however, limited to electoral politics only. The paper
finally made suggestions on the way forward.