Several factors, including societal norms and values, sexual harassments, gender discriminations, religious beliefs, threats and ethnicity were some of the challenges female students in executive positions in their various schools listed as drawbacks to attaining leadership and participating in governance process.

Speakers at an interactive session held by HEIR Women Hub with some executives of National Female Students Association of Nigeria (NFSAN), also identified low self-esteem suffered by many women, limited support from the women folk, dearth of female role models in leadership and failure of women in leadership positions to recommend other women for similar positions as part of the challenges.

NFSAN president, Oyo State chapter, Peace Oyeleru, gave an example of her school, where she said gender discrimination is still a major hindrance.

“If a woman says she wants to be president of any association, especially student union, all the men would work against her because they don’t want to work under her, they see women as beneath them. While many of us are fighting this bias, female student leaders must also mentor others coming after them to build up their capacity so they can in turn, challenge biases,” Oyeleru said.

Mercy Benson pointed out that many women are yet to take the bold step to take up leadership responsibilities because of inferiority complex.

Narrating her personal experience, state chairperson, NFSAN, Aliyu Mariam, from the Federal College of Education, Zaria, said she once aspired to be her department’s president but was told that a lady could not lead.

“After the elections, which I won, a man was declared winner, but this experience didn’t deter me. I moved on to contest at the SUG level and I was again told that women are not allowed to contest. I went on to mobilise other ladies and we fought this rule tooth and nail. Today, we have about eight women on the executive council and people were shocked as to how we did it. Currently, we have a woman running for SUG president and we’re going to support her as much as possible whether she wins or not. Discrimination against women is rife and it’s worse in the north where women are seen as lesser beings.