CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY
A number of difficulties stand in the way of any well-meaning
discussion of the position of women in contemporary Nigeria. The key difficulty
is the diverse nature of the condition of women in the country, itself the
consequence of inter-regional, inter-religious, inter-generational,
inter-occupational and residential differences. The position of the young
thirty-something old educated Christian Yoruba woman living in a plush neighborhood
in Lagos is hardly comparable to that of a fifty-year old Muslim woman residing
in a remote village in one of the twelve states that function under the sharia
legal system in the northern part of the country. The diverse nature of the
condition of the Nigerian woman is however not a sufficient reason not to
embark on an exploration of how women generally fare in the country. This is
all the more pertinent given the officially repeated desire by several Nigerian
governments to promote the position of women and gender equality nationwide.
The question of gender equality and women empowerment was on the
agenda of the Nigerian government well before the formal approval of the
National Gender Policy for Nigeria in 2006. Since the observation by the United
Nations of the International Women’s Year in 1975-1976 and the proclamation of
the decade for women in 1975, there has been a multiplicity of efforts by
federal, state and local government actors in Nigeria to improve the status of
women and remove the many constraints that place women in positions of relative
economic, socio- cultural and political deprivation. In 1979, a Women
Development Section was created in the then Federal Ministry of Social
Development, Youth and Sport to further the cause for the advancement of women.
In the same year, the United Nations adopted the CEDAW (Convention on the
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women). This led to the
creation of the National Commission for Women, upgraded to a full-fledged
Ministry of Women Affairs in 1996. One of the objectives of this Ministry is to
formulate and implement policies designed to achieve ‘women empowerment and
elimination of laws and discriminatory practices against women’1.
This paper attempts to take
stock of how this objective has been attained. We will begin by presenting a
situation report of the position of women relative to men in various sectors to
gauge the extent of gender disparity. Then we will try to examine the perceived
disadvantaged position of women by adopting an approach based on an
identification of existing constraints and opportunities in the environment
within which Nigerian women live. We will first explore the constraints,
including legal, political and socio-cultural elements that inhibit women
self-actualization. Then we will assess the opportunities or resources women
possess and determine how effective these are in making women key actresses in
managing their destinies as well as the destiny of the society to which they
belong. Finally we will present the perceptions by a sample of men and women
who were interrogated during a recent field research in Nigeria on some key
issues concerning the position of women in the country in order to make useful
observations on prospects of women empowerment in the country.
1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The goal of this study
is to bring about the advancement, development and empowerment of women. The
Policy will be widely disseminated so as to encourage active participation of
all stakeholders for achieving its goals. Specifically, the objectives of this
study include,
1. Creating an environment through
positive economic and social policies for full development of women to enable
them to realize their full potential
2. The de-jure and de-facto enjoyment of
all human rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all
spheres – political, economic, social, cultural and civil
3. Equal access to participation and
decision making of women in social, political and economic life of the nation
4. Equal access to women to health care,
quality education at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment,
equal remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security and public
office etc.
5. Strengthening legal systems aimed at
elimination of all forms of discrimination against women
6. Changing societal attitudes and
community practices by active participation and involvement of both men and
women.
7. Mainstreaming a gender perspective in
the development process.
8. Elimination of discrimination and all
forms of violence against women and the girl child; and
9. Building and strengthening
partnerships with civil society, particularly women’s organizations.
2.3 PROBLEMS
OF THE STUDY
Major problem face in this study is getting the
information required or needed from the female that the questionnaire was
distributed to.
Sexual harassment is the form of sexual exploitation of a girl child at
home, streets, public places, transports, offices, etc by the family members,
neighbors, friends or relatives.
2.4 SIGNIFICANT
JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
This study tries to examine the Women and economic empowerment, prospects
and challenges in Nigerian economy. The study shall give an insight on how job
opportunities can be created and how poverty rate can be drastically reduced in
the country. The major value-added of this research work will be the proffering
of suggestions that will help women in Nigeria economy.
The study is thus important because of its potentiality in the
development of the women empowerment which has been characterized as the “sub-main
carrier of development and the engine of social and economic growth” in
Nigeria. The study will also help in identifying why people don’t encourage
female education despite its numerous advantages. The study will help women
affairs to known the prospect and challenges facing woman empowerment. And
finally, it will serve as secondary data for subsequent studies by a
prospective researcher.
2.5 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
H0: Women and Economic Empowerment does not contribute to Nigerian
economic growth and development.
H1: Women and Economic Empowerment contributes to Nigerian
economic growth and development.
HYPOTHESIS II
H0: Promotion of Women and Economic Empowerment
improvement in employment generation are not related.
H1: Promotion of Women and Economic Empowerment and
improvement in employment generation are related.
HYPOTHESIS 3
H0: Women and Economic Empowerment does not reduce poverty and
improve standard of living in Nigeria.
H1: Women and Economic Empowerment reduces poverty and improves the standard of living in Nigeria.
2.6 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
Information and
communication technologies (ICTs) have been increasingly promoted as a key
solution for comprehensive development, poverty eradication and the empowerment
of historically disadvantaged groups, such as women and minorities in the
global & local communities. ICT-based business initiatives and e-commerce
projects in particular, have been hailed as “potential goldmines” for women's
empowerment. However, research and experience show that to be successful,
projects must balance the need to overcome structural barriers to women's
advancement with sensitivity to the limited space within which many women in
the global and local navigates.
2.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Woman
empowerment: means empowering women
to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build
stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and
sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and
communities.
Empowerment:
refers to policies and measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and
self-determination in the lives of people and in communities in order to enable
them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way,
acting (again) on their own authority. Empowerment refers both to the process
of self-empowerment and to professional support of people, which enables them
to overcome their sense of powerlessness and lack of influence, and to
recognize and eventually use their resources and chances.
Prospect
and challenges: These are the major problems facing
women empowerment in Nigeria economy, and the obstacles facing the movement of
women empowerment.
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