Women Participation in Politics and Poverty as Determining Factors for Reduction of Children and Women Trafficking in Ogun East Senatorial District: A Perceptual Study of Women in Politics

Abstract

Children and Women Trafficking have been a contemporary social issue. It is fast becoming a trade which is defiling concerted efforts to resolve. This study investigated the influence of participation in politics and poverty as determining factors for the reduction of children and women trafficking in Ogun East Senatorial District, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted to carry out this study. One hundred and ninety five educated women selected through simple random sampling technique from ten out of 64 registered political parties in Ogun East Senatorial District took part in the study.  Data were collected using a self-constructed instrument which has items on perceived influence of participation in politics and poverty on the reduction of children and women trafficking. Simple percentage and goodness-of-fit Chi square statistics were used to analyse the data collected. Result indicated among others that; women participation in politics can reduce children and women trafficking (?² = 39.974; p < .05). (ii)  Poverty is a cankerworm and one of the causes of children and women trafficking in Nigeria (?² = 37.923; p < .05). It was recommended amid others that: (i) States and governmental organizations should note and take care of the factors that increase vulnerability to trafficking, including inequality, poverty and all forms of discrimination and prejudice (ii) Qualitative education should be freely provided, and (iii) youth should be engaged in profitable jobs which will invariably enhance and refrain the citizen from children and women trafficking.

Keywords: Participation in Politics; Poverty; Children and Women Trafficking;