ABSTRACT
This study was
carried out to examine the Role of Women in Community Development in Izzi Local
Government Area of Ebonyi State. Four research questions were formulated to
guide the study. A total of six (6) communities in the study area were used for
the study. 230 people were selected through simple random sampling techniques
to complete the questionnaire. The instrument used for the study was a
structured questionnaire designed by the researcher for the collection of data
and the survey research design was adopted for the study. The questionnaire
contained 20 items based on the research questions. The mean and frequencies were
used for the method of data analysis. The data were analyzed and interpreted
using mean scores. The results of the findings revealed that political and
economic instability militate against effective role of women in community
development because valued resources are not properly allocated to the
appropriate quarters. Inconsistent policy formulation and programmes design as
well as unpurposeful leadership militate against the Role of Women in Community
Development. However, women are formidable productive force and a store of
incredibly human resources which are required for community and national
development. Therefore, women should not be discriminated and marginalized due
to their potentialities in development sphere. Based on the findings, it was recommended
that political and economic stability, review of government policies and
programmes on the role of women, emancipation of women should be urgently and
properly carried out completely, special child care/security allowance should
be given to the women. Women should be heard, seen and involved in all ventures
through their concerted efforts and all plans for the achievement of the
objective of women development progress should be prudently designed and
faithfully executed.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
It is pertinent to note that women are
at the heart of development in various nations, state, local governments and
even communities as they control most of the non-monetary economy (subsistence
agriculture, bearing children, domestic labour etc.) and play vital role in the
monetary economy (trading, wage labour, employment etc.) (Yawa,1995).
Everywhere in the world, women work both around the home and outside the home.
The most topical issue in international developmental programme is women.
In support of this, Eze (2008) asserted that the
instrumental role of women in community development is obvious, hence, cannot
be over-emphasized. The woman as an individual is an agent of production of
life itself. This inevitable role places her in the position of the life blood
of the entire humanity. Woman is the first teacher, the sustained and
maintainer of the home, the peace maker, and the symbol of beauty as well as
the major character molders of the child. She is the mother to human race. As
mothers and wives, women do avert considerable impact on the productivity: male
workers. As workers in their own rights, they can be linked to the rejected
stone in the Holy Bible which has definitely become the corner stone of the
house. By their sheer psychological and intellectual make up, women do perform
more than mere complementary roles in the production process Jerminiwa, 1995).
To be candid, most of the contributions
by women globally had not been recognized until recently when the United
Nationsdeclared:-the Decade for Women (1976-1985), making it mandatory on governments
to focus on issue of women as an integral component national development.
To ensure the actualization of this
noble objective, the United
Nations General Assembly in 1979 adopted the convention
on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. Consequently,
subsequent conferences on women were held in Copenhagen, Demark 1980, Nariobi
in Kenya 1985, and Benjing in China, 1995.
Notwithstanding, an international news
magazines “Africa Today” reported in July, 1995 that the full implementation of
all the strategies and recommendations of the various conferences on omen
issues had still not been achieved and enthusiasm was waning. According to the
magazine, the United Nations itself reported that only six out of the 184
ambassadors to UN are women and only four out of the 32 UN specialized agencies
and prgoramme are headed by women.
But in Nigeria the 1995 constitutional
conferences has only eight women out of a total of 369 delegates. Sadly, much of women’s work remains
invisible, unremunerated and unrecognized.
But women are now challenging the status quo to right women are working
for an improvement in their socio-economic statues and for recognition in nationaldevelopment
(Amah, 1995).
According to Eking (2008), women have
come a long way. The concern for “women
in development or women’s progress and women is emancipation is anchored in the
practiced that women as subordinate to men.
Consequently, Anikpo (2000) contented that various rights were denied
women and their contributions to National Development were either stifled or
ignored. Deliberating on the matter, Ebo
(1996) raised pertinent issues on the emancipation of both Nigerian women and
men in national development without which women folk will slow down the pace of
national advancement.
It is pertinent at this function to
take a critical look on the role of women in community development, A case
study of Izzi local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
A community is a group of people
occupying a geographical space or area and is bound together by common culture,
language value andaspirations. Succinctly, Ede (2001:55) sees the community as
a group of people, made up of adult, children, social and non-social people
living in a certain territory or geographical setting where they all share a
mode of life but not all are conscious of its organization and purpose”. He
further explained that there is a nonsocial part of the community such as
little children and mentally deranged people who are not conscious of the way
of life of the society and their rights and obligations. Culture in its simple
forms to complex forms is being universally defined and understood as the totality
of the ways of life of a people or a society. Onwueje Ogwu (1994) sees “culture
as all material objects made by man ranging from stone implements to atomic
energy and non-material things thought out and institutionalized by man ranging
from values, norms to ideas like marriage, economy, drama dance and language”
Since women are part of the community,
there is much need for. Apart from the physical attractions, women are
indispensable at home not only in the domestic work they do, but also in taking
care of the children. In support of this, Oyesakim (1982) asserted that women
perform certain functions that make for development such as child bearing and
economically, they are helping hands to man. In his opinion, Demise (1991)
describes the roles and duties ofwomen in the family as wives, mothers, and
village/community politicians. He was of the opinion that women function in
various capacities ranging from founders of nations/states. Also there are
assumptions that women are the main custodians of social, cultural and values
of a society at large and a community in particular.
However, this custodian role of women
has been threatened by colonialism, modern technology and advent of Western
Education where women were grossly under-privileged.
Obviously, Nigerian association with
the British as its colonizers left an indelible mark on the socio-cultural
attitudes and patterns of behaviour of its citizens. During the colonial era,
women were relegated to the Kitchen, thus destroying the indigenous courage and
capacities displayed by their great grandmothers in service to their
communities (Dadirep 1995). Coming from a background where a woman’s place was
in kitchen, the colonial masters and administrators thought it strange to find
the African woman involved in substantial economic and political activities outside
the home (kitchen). According to Dadirep (1995), the Victorian period in England
in the 1gth country re-emphasized the act that the physiology of women naturally
made them timid, feeble and unable to think because they had smaller brains
than man.
Development means different things to
different people Mabogunje (1980) identifies development to be economic growth
and modernization.
Mabogunje (1991) identified the eight
cardinal elements of sustainable development as they affect women as education,
health, culture, politics, economy, agriculture, enhanced environment, quality
and peaceful co-existence.
Perhaps, the field where women have
excelled and where they have contributed immensely to national development as
well as community is trading with reference to the transportation, exchange,
and distribution of food stuff.
More so, the better life programme
which was (launched in 1987 and the family support programme of the Abacha
administration did a lot to enhance women’s participation in development
process. However, despite their attendant circumstantial and congenital constraints,
some specific achievements can be attributed to the programme in some parts of
Nigeria such as:
• Formation of co-operative societies and unions.
• Many women are deeply involved in the following
• Production of book soap
• Production of honey
• Founding of day care and primary schools
• Organization of literacy classes
• Preservation of perishable food items
• Promotion EPI/ORT activities
• Promotion of sanitation programmes.
It also undoubtedly clear that woman
played a lot of vital roles in politics during the pre-colonial era. Nigerian
women participated in politics and government through the institution of women
chiefs, the authority of first born daughters and the age grades. They held
various positions in their various ethnic groups. Currently, women are involved
in all socio-cultural, economic, political and leadership aspects of the
society.
Many of them were elected into various
positions in their different communities, states and Federal level. To be
precise, women are fully involved in developmental processes.
Conclusion:
In spite of the imposed constraints or impediments on the Nigerian women at
large and the study area in particular, there is over whelming evidence from
what has been discussed in this introduction that women can be formidable
productive forces which are needed for community and national development. They
can dictate the pace and direction of the economy and society. Their sheer
numerical strength is enough to jolt cynics. Their contribution
cannot be discounted in house-hold and national
economics. The performance in national development efforts should be;
• Ensure major policy interventions to bring women’s
social status and economic chance at par with those of men.
• Shift emphasis in regional development efforts to the
provision of infrastructures and location of production ventures in
marginalized areas.
• Identification and elimination Of all appearances of
discrimination based on sex.
• Special child care security allowance should be put in
place due to the tact that a properly brought up child is an assets to the
society and not to the mother alone.
Converted efforts have been made by women themselves to
be heard, seen and involved in all ventures, including political strides
because the best advocates for women’s emancipation must be women themselves.
• Cottage economic activities that are socially,
acceptable and economically viable should be identified.
• Credit facilities should make easily accessible to
women.
• All plans for the achievement of the objectives of
women’s development progress should be prudently designed and faithfully,
executed (Jeminiwa, 1995).
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problem of this study is to
identify the actual roles of women in community development in Ezzi Local
Government Area of Ebonyi State so that the non-recognition, discrimination,
marginalization, oppression and suppression of women as well as other negative
tendencies will be ended for the effective development of our society. It wilt
also identify the causes and consequences of some of the factors that either
militate against favour the role of women in community development in the study
area.
1.3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objectives of this study are
to critically examine the
-des of women in community development in Izzi Local
Government Area of Ebonyl State, Specifically, this study sought to:
Determine the factors that affect the role of women in
community development.
• Ascertain the contribution and level of development in
the study area through women
• Examine the areas requiring more participation of
women in the development of community in Izzi Local Government Area
Determine how women contribute in the provision of funds
and other resources for developmental projects in the community in the study
area.
1.4
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions are formulated
which if adequately answered would identify the roles of women in community
development in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
1. What are the factors that affect the role of women in
community development in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State?
2. What are the contribution of women and the extent of
the
evel of community development in Izzi Local Government
Area
through the role of women?
3, What are the areas that require more participation of
women for community development in your area?
4. How do the women contribute in the provision of fund
and other resources for the execution and implementation of community
developmental projects?
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This research work is expected to serve
as an adjunct to existing literature on the role of women in community
development in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyl State 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 anddevelopmental sectors as well as present and future
researchers.
2. In addition, the study seeks to promote participation
of women
n development of the society to enable them handle their
duties and functions better.
Furthermore, the study service to
improve the quality of materials and allocation of resources for community
development to combine with the ones which women provide willingly for better
performance in the study area and elsewhere.
In addition, the study hopes to promote
cordial relationships Detween government project executors and implementers,
women s well as the entire community.
Finally, it will serve as a catalyst
forwards further research on community development and its effects on the
people and the society.
1.6
SCOPE /DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The scope of this research is limited
to the role of women in community development in Izzi Local Government Area of
Ebonyi State.
The delimitation of this research study
to Izzi Local Government Area only is as a result of area where reliable data
is available.
1.7
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study concentrated on the role of
women in community development in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State
due to time frame and financial constraints. Another limiting factor is the
necessary materials to be used which are very scare while the respondents may
lose some questionnaires on which can make the sample small in relations to the
entire population.
1.8
DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Development: This means a widely participatory
process of social changes in society intended to bring about social and
material advancement (including greater equality freedom and other valued qualities)
for the majority of people through gaining control over :eir environment.
2. Role: This is the function or postion that somebody
has.
Community: A community is a group of people occupying a geographical
setting and bound together by common culture, language, value and aspiration.
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