Nigeria, May 13 -- "Women constitute half of our population. Whatever affects them affects society as a whole. Their empowerment is not a favour, it is a necessity." - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

When TOS Foundation Africa launched its campaign for the passage of the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, a question we encountered repeatedly was this: "Why can't women slug it out like their male counterparts? Why should seats be reserved for them? Electoral victory is not handed over on a platter of gold; you must fight for it!"

As it turns out, the question answers itself.

As political parties across Nigeria announce their primary modes and self-regulation tactics ahead of the 2027 ele...