When Women March: The Effects of Women-Led Protests on Gender Gaps in Political Participation, Belinda Archibong, Nonso Obikili, Chinemelu Okafor and Oluseye Ajuwon

Can protests lead to meaningful changes in political participation, particularly among marginalized groups like women? This paper studies the effects of historic women’s protests on current gender gaps in political participation using evidence from colonial Nigeria. Archival data on female incarceration following the 1929 Aba Women’s War is combined with Afrobarometer survey data from 2003–2014. The findings show that women from areas with higher historical protest activity exhibit greater political participation in subsequent generations. These include higher voting rates, engagement in political activities, and stronger preferences for female leadership. Conversely, men from the same regions and cohorts show reduced participation. A randomized experiment introducing this history to university students further supports these findings. Effects are strongest in the short term but may persist over time.