WOMEN SOCIO ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND THE GROWTH OF NIGERIA DEMOCRACY
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WOMEN SOCIO ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND THE GROWTH OF NIGERIA DEMOCRACY
Abstract
The study’s goal was to examine the level of women’s socioeconomic empowerment and the progress of democracy, as well as to provide remedial strategies to minimise the severity of the problem. To attain these stated goals, basic questions on the obstacles that impede women’s empowerment to hold positions of leadership were posed.
The descriptive survey research method was used, and the sample techniques used were available, purposive and simple random sampling. Questionnaires, interviews, and documents were used to collect data from primary and secondary sources. The collected data was analysed using appropriate statistical tools such as frequency count, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.
For data analysis, both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used. As a result, the study’s key finding was that, while there has been some progress, the development rate of women’s empowerment in politics is modest when compared to the growing rate of women in expert staff.
It was also discovered that socio-cultural, personal, and institutional constraints, such as home and family duty, lack of self-confidence, lack of monitoring and evaluation, and other concerns, were important impediments to women gaining leadership positions.
The key techniques for increasing women’s empowerment in leadership positions are growing self-confidence, pursuing higher education, building a strong women’s network, rejecting meritocracy, and employing a quota system.
Finally, recommendations were made based on the results and conclusions, including empowering women through continual training and bringing about perceptual and attitudinal changes in both men and women.
INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER ONE
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Many modern views about women’s empowerment are based on the assumption that in traditional societies, women are essential providers of democracy by promoting women’s innate strength and good self image (chauhan s.s.s and Baughman, Guarav: 2002:10).
Women’s empowerment in politics is the process by which women gain the ability to organise themselves in order to increase their own self-reliance, proclaim their self-independence right to make choices, and control resources that will aid in challenging (sugana,:2002:3).
Women empowerment, according to Promila kapur, helps women gain greater control over resources, material, human, and intellectual such as knowledge, information, ideas, financial resources, and control over decisions in the home community, society, and nation to gain power (chausan and Banasal, Op. city).
Kiran defines self-reliance as having a positive self-esteem that allows them to face any challenging scenario and the ability to participate in developmental activities and decision making/Ibid/.
In 1979, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which established a framework for action to eradicate discrimination against women in the social, economic, cultural, and political spheres.
Its guiding values (nondiscrimination, accountability, interdependence, and participation) inspire and strengthen worldwide projects. Similarly, at the World Fourth Conference on Gender Equality, held in Beijing, China in 1995,
all UN member states reviewed women’s situation towards gender equality, with women’s power sharing in politics under decision making being one of the 12 critical areas for intervention (UN: Beijing Platform for Action, 1995).
Many governments recognised that the objective of equality, development, and peace could not be attained without the active participation of women at all levels of decision making.
It is thought that ignoring female participation in all elements of social, political, and economic activity results in a loss of half of the world’s population potential (Cubillo and Brown, 2003).
Women continue to be under-represented in decision-making positions where major policy choices and resource allocations are made (White, 2006). The majority of women in the public sector work in education, nursing, technical, and allied services, whereas men work in administrative and managerial roles (ECA, 1996).
Women in Nigeria, like anywhere else in the globe, face inequity and discrimination (FDRE, WP, 1993), and their status in leadership positions is low (NAP-GE, 2006).
In light of the foregoing, the present Nigerian government has enacted a variety of gender equity laws and initiatives aimed at giving women an equal opportunity to participate in all areas, including leadership and decision making. Among these initiatives are the following:
A new family legislation, a pension right policy for women, and other efforts to develop women, such as an affirmative action provision for higher education, employment, and promotion, are noteworthy (FDRE, WP, 2004).
Despite the Nigerian government’s efforts to empower women in decision-making positions, gender is only one of the ways in which women might be excluded from obtaining and exercising leadership.
As a result, in order to comprehend the role of women’s empowerment in politics in Udi L.G.A., a research of seven sectors was conducted. Politicians and governments are urging local government bodies to incorporate women in leadership positions, recognising that in order to achieve sustainable development, women must participate in leadership positions.
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Women’s empowerment has emerged as a critical topic for the Nigerian government. The administration maintains that women’s empowerment is critical to the country’s progress. For many years,
the government recognised that women faced numerous challenges as a result of their participation in various decision-making positions; primarily, their participation in decision-making structures is recognised as fundamental human rights and important principles of a fair democratic system (Saide, 2005).
The Beijing Platform for Action of the United Nations (1995) argued that the presence of women in strategic positions is a necessary condition for women’s interests to be taken into account; additionally,
women’s visibility in decision-making structures at all levels is viewed as a powerful tool for changing societal stereotypes and creating role models who can serve as impetus for transformation towards gender equality (Genovese, 1993).
In view of the foregoing, education in Nigeria has experienced significant changes since the implementation of the new education and training strategy in 1994, including measures aimed at empowering women in politics.
Despite the government of Nigeria’s ongoing attempts to promote women’s socioeconomic empowerment and the strengthening of democracy. In contrast to this, the current number of women in positions of leadership in Udi LGA is quite low.
It is on this basis that the researcher believes it is necessary to explore Opportunities and Challenges of Women’s Empowerment in Politics in Udi LGA. The researcher chose this study topic because she has worked as an EWEB supervisor and is aware of the gender disparity in decision-making systems.
According to the researcher’s knowledge, no research has been identified that pertains to the growth and proportion of women’s participation in leadership roles, as well as the issues that prevent them from being leaders in the Udi LGA.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What is the scope, variety, and trend of female leadership engagement in 2019?
What are the mechanisms for women’s socioeconomic empowerment and democratic growth?
Do the existing regional and Udi LGA level selection and placement criteria for leadership roles have an impact on women’s participation?
What obstacles impede women’s participation in leadership positions?
What are male and female perceptions of women’s leadership abilities and behaviours?
1.4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To examine trends in female leadership engagement.
To assess the efficiency of mechanisms employed to empower women in positions of leadership.
To assess the factors for leadership selection and placement.
To analyse the perceptions of community and political leaders on women’s empowerment in leadership positions in Udi LGA administration sectors.
1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY’
The issue of gender imbalance in leadership positions persists in practically all Udi LGAs in Tigray. In this study, specific issues that impede women’s participation in leadership positions in Udi LGA were investigated and examined.
As a result, the findings of this study may help to close a knowledge gap that is impeding women’s equal involvement in leadership. More specifically, the findings of this study would have the following implications:
Because the difficulties of women’s participation in leadership are not fully resolved in the region, the findings of this study will assist the other Udi LGAs in recognising and resolving the opportunities and obstacles of women’s empowerment in politics.
The study may improve understanding of the opportunities and limitations of women’s empowerment in Udi LGA’s designated sectors of politics.
The study has the potential to drive responsible government agencies to prioritise gender mainstreaming in all organisations in general, and in leadership positions in Udi LGA in particular.
The study’s findings and recommendations may also be useful to other scholars conducting additional research on gender and leadership.
1.6 DELIVERY LIMITATION
The study will look into the prospects and difficulties for women’s political empowerment in the Udi LGA administration. The population of this study includes the Udi LGA Head Office,
Udi LGA Education Bureau, Udi LGA Agriculture Bureau, Udi LGA Health Bureau, Tabia Chairman and women, Udi LGA Female Affairs Committee, and Udi LGA Civil Servants.
Although there are numerous concerns concerning women in all aspects of society, it would have been preferable to conduct the study in a broader scope; nevertheless, due to money and time constraints, the researcher chose to limit the scope of the study to a manageable size.
As a result, the study has been narrowed down to analyse the Opportunities and Challenges of Women’s Empowerment or in Leadership Positions in Udi LGA by focusing on seven sectors.
The study did not investigate all elements that determine women’s participation in leadership, but instead focused on personal, cultural, institutional, policy, and educational issues. The survey was further narrowed to include experts and people in positions at the aforementioned levels.
LIMITATION 1.7
The absence of gender aggregated data was the study’s principal weakness. As a result, the researcher was compelled to gather vital information from the staff list and informants, making data gathering time-consuming and challenging.
The other issue was a lack of access to interview heads and human resource personnel in the Udi LGAs who are obligated to designate the leadership of the examined Udi LGAs.Furthermore, there was a time constraint that required the researcher to wait till the aforementioned led had free time to address the issue at hand.
1.8. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
While the majority of the concepts and terminology investigated in this study are well-known. Empowerment, gender stereotypes, institutional considerations, leadership and involvement in leadership, gender and gender bias are all defined words.
– Gender: Gender is traditionally defined by cultural norms (masculine or feminine), cultural and social treats, and sex, which is based on a biological state male or female (Berdahl, 1996). This viewpoint is based on cultural norms, which include career and academic choices, family roles, levels of authority, and values (Basow, 1992).
– Leadership: A. Jago provided the operational definition of leadership employed in this study. Jago’s comprehensive explanation (1982, p 315). states:
Leadership is a process as much as a quality. The process of leadership is the use of non-coercive influence to direct and coordinate the activities of members of a structured group towards the achievement of collective goals. Leadership, as a property, is the set of attributes or characteristics attributed to persons who are believed to successfully wield such power.
Empowerment: is a process by which people gain more power and control over their lives. It involves awareness, self-confidence, broadening of options and opportunities, and increasing access to and control over resources. Empowerment comes from “inside,” from the individual themselves; it cannot be granted by others (Saide, 2005).
Gender stereotypes are generalisations of the male gender as being inherently familiar with specific talents to accomplish certain labour while women are unsuitable to do the same activity. Individual differences within the same sex are ignored (Stogdill, 1974).
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