A Study of the Roles of Community Development Education in The Socio Economic Emancipation Of Women

A STUDY OF THE ROLES OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION IN THE SOCIO ECONOMIC EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN IN IKWERRE LGA OF RIVER’S STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

The position of women in society in relation to men and the subordination, oppression and marginalization of women has attracted the attention of scholars, activists, feminists and development workers for a very long time. Historical evidences in many societies, both during the ancient and modern periods support the idea of male domination over their female folks in many spheres of human endeavour (Aina, 2012). The literature on the subjugation of women to men’s domination knows no bound with such literature covering wide range of issues, including the body, class and work, disability, the family, globalization, human rights, culture, race and racism, reproduction, science, the self, sex, work, human trafficking and sexuality (Nkoyo, 2002). The issues relating to what is also known as gender inequality has become very prominent in the last few decades. It has a great impact on policy making and implementation.

The United Nations has programs and agencies like Commission on the Status of Women has been responsible for organizing and following up the world conferences on women in uplifting the status of women in political affairs and socio – economic development. Past conferences such as Mexico (1975), Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and the recent one Beijing (1995) in China, with the theme “Equality Development and Peace Contriving Strategies” towards active liberation and empowerment of women with its overall aim at annulling those practices and values that discriminate against women; taking steps to increase the number of women representation in legislative bodies around the world. Nigeria has achieved little progress in this regard.

The slow progress with women’s political representation in Nigeria is intimately connected with how the problem of women’s under-representation is perceived and understood as well as the strategies adopted to address it. Traditionally, in Africa and particularly in Nigerian culture and history, women have been involved in politics and socioeconomic development in governance but the level of participation is low when compared to the level of males. Having tasted political power and found it appealing, the male gender continued to consolidate its position by fencing out their female counterparts from the mainstream political activities where the real power lies. At best, women were strategically, through several means including cultural exclusion, reduced to the second fiddle offices of ‘deputy’ and ‘vice’ ((Awofeso & Temitayo, 2014).

In Nigeria, currently there are 469 legislators in the national assembly. 109 and 360 in the senate and house of representatives respectively. Out of this, only seven women are in senate while 22 are in the house of representatives. Thus, female law makers constitute 6.2% while male legislators stand at 93.8%. At the state assembly level, there are 51 women out of 990 members, representing 5.2% in terms of representation. Therefore, this paper examined dimensions of gender inequality and discrimination that excludes women from socioeconomic and political activities. This is detrimental to national cohesion, progress and development of women in Nigerian society and beyond in the 21st century.

Women emancipation is the effort to secure equal rights for women and to remove discrimination from laws, institutions and behavioural patterns. Some women reformers rights movement began in the nineteenth century with the demand for women’s right to vote, they advocated for the same rights as men. Many other scholars including Agbalajobi (2010) and Soetan (2014) have unveiled the travail of the female gender humiliation, manipulation and marginalization through a number of culturally biased norms and practices which has culminated into systematic institutionalization of male superiority over the female in all spheres of life – socio-culturally, economically and politically. Indeed, the life circle of a woman from the cradle to the grave is said to be characterized by all manners of violence related to manipulation and control of women by men through sex selective, abortion, different access to medical care, incest and sexual harassment in the workplace, rape, marital rape, abuse of widow, etc

By the virtue of the population of Nigeria, the potential female labour force is 50% but the actual value is 31%. The proportion of women in the formal sector is very minimal. This is noticeable in the industries and the civil services; statistics indicate that in the Federal Civil Service, which the highest employer in the country is, women are mostly found in the junior categories (Ajir, 2002). Women are mainly involved in petty trading, selling wares in the market and street hawking in urban areas.

According to statistics 78 % of women are mostly engaged in the informal sector, which are farming and petty trading. Despite this, their contribution is not commensurate monetarily. The women’s unpaid labour is twice that of men, and its economic value is estimated to be up to 30% of the nation’s Gross National Product. Women self-advancement has been curtailed by the burden of reproduction, particularly in Nigeria with a very high birth rate as well as the cultural roles associated to women – role of child bearing, child raising and homemaking.

A STUDY OF THE ROLES OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION IN THE SOCIO ECONOMIC EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Essentially, the women must be educated in terms of their role in the society, whether as Producers or Reproducers; they are mainly responsible for the care and well-being of their families, they play an important role as educators of future generations, they perform economic functions and social functions. As more and more women are educated, the health of the nation improves. With rising education among the women, there will be also a rise of women in the labour force; women education aids in the protection of the environment and also improves agricultural practices which will enhance the socioeconomic emancipation of women. Thus, for society to be developed, the women must be allowed access to good and qualitative education. Hence, this study examined the roles of community development education in the socio economic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

1.3     Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine the roles of community development education in the socio economic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area of river. The specific objectives include:

1. Examine the role of women educational attainment on the socio economic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
2. Examine the impact of women’s employment on socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
3. Examine the impact of women’s political participation on socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
4. To identify the ways for improving women’s gender equality in educational opportunities in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
5. To establish strategies for improving women’s contribution to socio-economic emancipation in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

A STUDY OF THE ROLES OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION IN THE SOCIO ECONOMIC EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN

1.4     Research Questions

                   The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

1. How does women’s educational attainment affects the socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area?
2. Does women’s employment status impact on socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area?
3. Does women’s political participation impact on socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area?
4. What are the strategies for improving women’s gender equality in educational opportunities in Ikwerre Local Government Area?
5. What are the strategies for improving women’s contribution to socio-economic emancipation in Ikwerre Local Government Area?

1.5     Hypotheses

1. There is no significant relationship between women’s educational attainment and socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

2. There is no significant relationship between women’s employment status and socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
3. There is no significant relationship between women’s participation in politics and socioeconomic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

1.6     Significance of the Study

This research work is expected to serve as an adjunct to existing literature on the roles of community development education in the socio economic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area of River in particular and Nigeria at large. This work can be regarded as a managerial, administrative, and policy guide. The results of the findings and recommendations of this research work will among other things.

1. Provide prudent and useful guide for government, organizations, communities, managers, project implementers, individual investors, industrial and developmental sectors as well as the future researchers.
2. In addition, the study seeks to promote participation of women development of the society to enable them handle their duties and functions better.
3. Furthermore, the study service to improve the quality of materials and allocation of resources for community socioeconomic development to combine with the ones which women provide willingly for better performance in the study area and elsewhere.
4. In addition, the study hopes to promote cordial relationships Detween government project executors and implementers, women s well as the entire community.
5. Finally, it will serve as a catalyst forwards further research on community development education and the socioeconomic emancipation of women in the society.

1.7     Scope/Delimitation of the Study

The scope of this research is limited to the roles of community development education in the socio economic emancipation of women in Ikwerre Local Government Area of River.

The delimitation of this research study to Ikwerre Local Government Area only is as a result of area where reliable data is available.

1.8     Definition of Operational Terms

Community: A community is a group of people occupying a geographical setting and bound together by common culture, language, value and aspiration.

Community education: Community education is an organization’s programs to promote learning and social development work with individuals and groups in their communities using a range of formal and informal methods.

Women: It is the plural of woman. It is defined as an adult female human being. Women all over the world constitute a gender group; they are a disadvantaged group based on their sex.

Emancipation of women: A woman who is free from old social limitations and customs. She considers herself an emancipated woman. The term “emancipation” is often associated with the value of freedom. It implies freedom from legal, political or social restrictions. It is equally a process which enables the powerless social groups to gain access and control of resources in a given society.

In addition, it can be defined as a process, strategy and myriad efforts by which women have been striving to liberate themselves from the authority and control of men and traditional power structures, as well as to secure equal rights for women, remove gender discrimination from laws, institutions and behavioural patterns, and set legal standards that shall promote their full equality with men.

Women’s Education: Women’s Education means to eliminate illiteracy, to develop self confidence, to have the ability to make their own decisions and negotiate, to aware them of their civil rights and to provide skills for income generation in reference to women.