Thesis (MA) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research International Relations

Gender inequality remains a pervasive issue in many African countries, hindering
social progress and sustainable development. To improve democratization, increased
participation of both male and female gender must be promoted. Despite efforts to
address this problem, significant disparities persist in various aspects of life,
including education, employment, healthcare, and political representation.
Furthermore, a lack of comparative analysis examines the factors contributing to
gender inequality in Liberia and Nigeria, hindering the development of targeted and
effective interventions. This thesis employs a comparative analysis approach by
examining the historical development and approaches to gender equality promotion
in Nigeria and Liberia. In addition, this briefly touches upon empirical evidence from
2014 to 2021 on the representation of women in Liberia and Nigeria. This thesis's
finding shows historical, customary, and traditional factors such as cultural beliefs
after gender disparity in both cases. The continuous level of poverty in both countries
contributes to the limitation of the female gender in being invested. However, while
the colonization effect is observable in the case of Nigeria, colonization did not
impact Liberia's gender disparity. While Liberia is more proactively promoting
gender parity, Nigeria is responding too slowly and backsliding in its conduct. Lastly,
the proportion of women represented in the national legislatures of Nigeria and
Liberia from 2014 to 2021 shows better performance in Liberia. The United Nations
and other International Organizations have played a significant role in both cases.
This thesis recommends that the quota approach in Liberia's parliament composition
is a lesson for Nigeria to improve its representation of women in the House of
Representatives.