Older Women in Power: The Silent Enforcers of Patriarchy in African Politics

Throughout history, African societies have been shaped by deeply entrenched patriarchal values that dictate the roles of men and women. In traditional settings, older women have often served as enforcers of these gender norms, ensuring that younger women conform to societal expectations of obedience, silence, and submission. This pattern has extended into politics, where female politicians who have successfully navigated male-dominated spaces often become gatekeepers rather than disruptors of the system. Instead of breaking barriers for younger women, they reinforce them, ensuring that the patriarchal order remains intact.

The case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended for six months after filing a sexual harassment complaint against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, is a glaring example of how older women in power have internalized the very structures that have historically oppressed them. Rather than standing in solidarity with Natasha, older female politicians—Remi Tinubu, Florence Ita-Giwa, and Ireti Kingibe—either remained silent, dismissed her claims, or actively contributed to her punishment. Their responses reflect a broader cultural phenomenon in which older women in Africa do not always serve as allies to younger women, but rather as enforcers of the patriarchal status quo.

The Deep Roots of Patriarchy: How Women Become Its Strongest Defenders

African societies have long been structured around male authority, with men occupying leadership positions in politics, business, and family life. Women have traditionally been expected to play supportive roles, ensuring the stability of households and communities while deferring to male leadership. However, rather than being passive participants in this structure, older women have often played a critical role in maintaining and policing gender norms.

In traditional African settings, elder women were the ones who trained younger women to submit to their husbands, endure mistreatment in silence, and never question male authority. They taught young girls to lower their voices, to avoid confrontation, and to accept that their worth was tied to how well they pleased men. Women who deviated from these expectations were often punished, ostracized, or labeled as troublesome.

This generational conditioning has not disappeared with modernization—it has simply been repackaged. In politics, female politicians who have survived within male-dominated systems have done so by playing by the rules set by men. They have learned that confrontation is dangerous, that speaking out leads to consequences, and that their best chance at retaining power is to be useful to the men in charge rather than challenge them. This is why, when Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended, the older women in power did not come to her defense. They had learned the lesson she was only beginning to grasp: questioning male authority comes with a price.

Remi Tinubu: Justifying Natasha’s Political Exile in the Name of Order

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, a former senator herself, has finally spoken out on the suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, but rather than advocating for justice or due process, she has backed the Senate’s decision, calling it "the needful." Her response reflects the deep entrenchment of political women in the male-dominated system, where compliance is often more valued than conscience.

"I know with what is going on in the Senate, you may say, why am I not taking a position? I believe that the Senate is doing what is needful because that’s what it is," she said.

Her words completely dismiss the severity of the allegations made by Natasha, reinforcing the idea that women in power must accept their treatment as part of the system. Instead of calling for an investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment or questioning the hasty punishment of a female senator, she chose to uphold the status quo, siding with the very institution that silenced Natasha.

"We shouldn’t be hearing things like that. It’s a mature chamber, and it should be treated with respect. It’s an honour for you to be in that place alone."

Her statement implies that Natasha’s actions—speaking out against harassment and corruption—were disruptive and dishonorable, further deepening the perception that women in power must remain silent to be respected. This is a classic example of respectability politics, where women are expected to endure mistreatment quietly to maintain a sense of decorum, rather than demanding justice and fairness.

Florence Ita-Giwa: Reinforcing the Myth That Powerful Women Are Immune to Harassment

Another shocking response to Natasha’s case came from Florence Ita-Giwa, a former senator and presidential adviser, who outright dismissed the possibility that female senators could be victims of sexual harassment. In an interview with Tribune Online, Ita-Giwa claimed that "once women become senators, they cannot be sexually harassed."

"Female senators have passed the stage of sexual harassment," she insisted, arguing that a woman who reaches that level of power is no longer vulnerable.

Her comments are not just dismissive—they are deeply dangerous. They reinforce the harmful myth that sexual harassment only happens to weak or powerless women, suggesting that women in positions of authority should no longer speak out when it happens to them.

Rather than addressing the abuse of power inherent in Natasha’s allegations against Akpabio, Ita-Giwa’s remarks shifted the blame onto the victim, implying that Natasha had no right to claim harassment because of her position. By doing so, she not only invalidated Natasha’s experience but also made it harder for other women in leadership to speak out when they face similar situations.

The Price of Defiance: Why Older Women Do Not Support Disruptors

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension was not just an attack on her—it was an attack on every young Nigerian woman who dares to think that she can challenge corruption, that she can fight for justice, that she can be equal to men in politics. It was a warning, not just from the men in power but from the older women who stood by and did nothing.

The consequences of breaking the rules are clear. Women who comply with patriarchy are rewarded with survival, with political appointments, with stability. Women who challenge it, like Natasha, are cast out, vilified, and erased. The older women in Nigerian politics have learned this lesson well. They have endured their own struggles, their own moments of humiliation, and rather than dismantling the system that mistreated them, they have made peace with it. They have chosen to protect their own positions rather than fight for future generations.

Breaking the Cycle: A Call for Real Female Leadership

The suspension of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan should serve as a wake-up call. If women in politics continue to choose self-preservation over advocacy, they will leave behind a generation of young women who have no faith in their leadership. They will cement a legacy of complicity rather than courage. They will ensure that the system remains unchallenged, that male power remains unchecked, and that the cycle of female suppression continues.

This is not just about Natasha. This is about the next generation of female leaders in Africa. Will they inherit a system where older women protect their own political survival at the cost of progress? Or will today’s female politicians finally stand up and declare that the era of silence is over?

If women in power, from Florence Ita-Giwa to Ireti Kingibe to Remi Tinubu, continue to align with male leadership rather than championing gender solidarity, they will go down in history not as pioneers but as enablers of oppression. They will be remembered not for breaking barriers, but for reinforcing them.

The time for silence is over. The time for real female leadership is now.

Prof John Egbeazien Oshodi
Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi is an American psychologist, educator, author specializing in forensic clinical psychology, cross-cultural psychology, police prison science, social justice. Born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, he is the son of a 37-year veteran of the Nigeria Police Force, a background that shaped his commitment to justice, security, psychological research.

A pioneer in forensic psychology, he introduced state-of-the-art forensic psychology to Nigeria in 2011 through the National Universities Commission (NUC) Nasarawa State University, where he served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology. His contributions extend beyond academia into psychological health behavioral change initiatives through the Oshodi Foundation the Center for Psychological Forensic Services.

Professor Oshodi has held faculty positions at Florida Memorial University, Florida International University, Broward College, Nova Southeastern University, Lynn University. He is also a contributing faculty member in the doctoral undergraduate psychology programs at Walden University serves as a virtual professor with Weldios University Iscom University in the Benin Republic.

Beyond academia, he is a government consultant for forensic-clinical psychological services in the USA previously served as Interim Associate Dean Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida.

He has published extensively on mental health, justice, institutional reform is the founder of the Psychoafricalysis theory, which integrates African sociocultural perspectives into psychology.

Professor Oshodi remains an influential force in advancing psychology institutional reform globally, particularly in Africa.