1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In the present world of millennium developmental goals, socioeconomic rural development can never be achieved without rural women’s effort. The economic contribution and role of rural women in every rural is an indicator of the modernization of the national economy. The entire rural development process should be more on the active participation of rural women economic activities. Women are less able than their counterpart in economic and developmental opportunities because they faced with much burden of household work that includes childbearing activities, domestic chores and also rearing of small livestock. The extra workload is unpaid and confines the capacity of women to participate and engage in economic activities. However, the nature of tasks required women to stay near the home, which limits their option to work for wage earn. Furthermore, scarcity of time makes many women set up cottage industries such as handcraft and creative art that are often characterized by low returns (Lanjouw & Lanjouw, 2001). Although norms differ in terms of culture and religion; as a result it is estimated that rural women spent 85-90% of their time in household food processing and preparation (Fontana & Natalia, 2008). During the past, some policies, programs and project were designed and established to assist low- income women in the third world countries like Nigeria, which focused on the significant roles of rural women participation and contribution in economic and developmental process. Since 1950, interventions were made to change the level of economic and social progress of rural people particularly women’s roles as contributors to the rural they live in (Moser, 1993). Those interventions serve as the anti-poverty approach or reduction of poverty wish to improve and advance rural women’s productivity because it views their poverty as a matter of under development. In Nigerian rural communities, women have direct contact with the natural environment and resource as they gather essential items for everyday needs. Therefore it is important to include women in both the planning process of different economic and developmental organization, so as to maintain the alarming rate of rural development through involving all the members of the rural in which almost half of them are women who previously being ignored.
Rural development recognizes the use of natural resources through developmental potentialities (Adams, 1995), and the natural resources are treated as factors of production, which need to be use and maintained just like labor and capital. The objective is to improve rural women’s welfare, and providing facilities, environment for their active contribution to economic and community developments. Therefore, the local language should be used as a mechanism for mobilizing rural women to their functional facilities and practice to the contribution they made to the community development through their participation in economic activities. Although government at national level has funded programs such program like Better Life for Rural Women (BLP) in 1987, Family Support Program (FSP) in 1989, and Family Economic Advancement Program (FEAP) in 1994. All these programs are to improve the condition, feature and well-being of family and rural women in general. But still the contributions of rural women in economic and community development is not actualized because of the neglect of women folk in the development process and it results in the waste of resource to the society.
Traditionally women’s roles are confined to household chores, farming activities and other trade transaction that, in general, engage them for a longer hour than men (UNDP, 2004). Besides rural women have limited access to educational and employment opportunities. The problem encountered by rural communities in Ihiala, Nigeria is the need to encourage them and their potentialities for their well-being development (Afolabi, 2004). In Nigerian societies rural women are culturally deprive to participate fully in economic activities due to religious, social norms, and belief that women are suborder to be at home for only domestic chores, whereby women are not allowed to go out for any business transaction. Azikiwe (2008) reveals that social norms, inadequate incentives, ignorance, poverty, illiteracy and cultural institution against women in most societies in Nigeria are barriers to the advancement of rural women. Religion, culture, and education, are factors that leads to the little participation of rural women in economic activities in Ihiala LGA, Nigeria. This is because it comes with the seclusion that women are not allowed to go out for any business transactions, they remain at home to oversee the activities of the house. This practice is called purdah keeping women in the house; the fact here is that mixing between women with non-family members of the opposite sex is prohibition in Islam, so the aimed is creating a pure environment for preventing the negative consequences of such mixture. The acceptance and practice of purdah creates a social gap and reduce the economic contributions made by rural women in Ihiala LGA to the household and rural development. It has become a standard assessment for men economic dominance and success over women, and it is believed that a man is adequately well-off sufficient, and able to meet his family and his wife’s need without their intervention (Coles & Mack, 1991).
Studies conducted regarding the economic contribution rural women made to rural development that involves their participation in different forms of economic activities for their family and societal development. Such economic activities involve Agriculture, Trade transaction, food processing, hairdressing and weaving, Sewing and Knitting, and handcraft and creative art. Rural women in Nigeria have little benefits compared to men regarding Education, Employment opportunities, personal income, Assets and land tenure. Over 50% of women in Nigeria live in a rural community where they draw their livelihood and highly struggle for surviving. They engage in peasant farming and house gardening as their major occupation (Alemayehu 2014). Mirakzadehand (2011) examine rural women as half of the rural population, have an important role in economic activities which leads to the entire development of a rural, therefore in order to achieve rural community development an attention to women that involves in economic and developmental activities with men is required. In explaining the important role women made, the world conference on the United Nations decades of women was that two-third of the total workforce done by women in the world are rural women who live in rural communities with poor social amenities (Khatami, 2004). But still the value of the economic activities of rural women in the area of sustainable development is not well recognized. Women’s participation and their role in economic structures is an indicator of the modernization of the national economy and economic development, rural development strategies should be based on a more active participation of rural women in economic activities. Providing the fact that women make the half of the population in rural communities, are considered the major manufacturers of food and income for rural households which is the important aspect of agricultural production all over the world.
The importance of this study is to evaluate the level of participation of women in rural development by assessing some aspects of public rural development policies and programmes in Nigeria. The paper is expected to focus on the challenges and opportunities of engaging women in rural development programmes by highlighting some barriers and critical agenda for policy considerations. The paper is structured into sections. Immediately following the introductory aspect is a critical review of women in rural development within the contexts of development discourse and gender mainstreaming. The third section focuses on the historical perspective of Nigeria’s rural development practice. The fourth section assesses the role of women in rural development. The fifth segment discusses the challenges of women participation in public rural development programmes. This is followed by recommendations and conclusions.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The Limited role of women in rural development has created a very big problem in our society. These problems have attracted the attention of various governments, writers and every one concerned in enhancing development in Nigeria. Three decades ago have witnessed hundreds of seminars, conferences and workshops tailored towards the promotion of the role of women in rural development in Nigeria. The common practice today has been to mobilize scholars and professionals to present papers that identify the purposes and as well as proffer solutions to the innumerable problems hindering the role of women at all levels without actually investigating those factors. However, it has recently been recognized that the real gains from such efforts have not been achieved. This is why Olowole (1998) wrote that why most poverty alleviation projects and programs have failed is that the operators are hardly conversant with the thinking and aspirations of Nigerian women. Johnson (1995) also emphasized that no nation can develop by neglecting her women. Women are Nigeria’s greatest asset for stability, economic prosperity, development and unity. Also Okere (2008) recognized that high participation of women in national decision making is one of the indices of development. Thus, the factors hindering the role of women in rural development in Nigeria will be investigated and solution will be proposed.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
This research work is to be carried out based on the following research question.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The core objective of this research work is to examine women and rural development with a particular attention on Okija, women, in Ihiala LGA.
However, other specific objectives of this study include:
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
There is no research work done solely for its own sake but to also contribute to already existing body of knowledge. This work will contribute to women study and their roles in community development in Nigeria. It will also add to already existing knowledge on the subject matter. The study will also provide insight for other researchers who may wish to carry out further studies on the activities of women.
The findings of this study will help the public and government to change both their attitude and perception against women which hinders development in Nigeria, such things like believing that politics is for men would be history. From the study, government and non-governmental organization (NGO) would learn to give their support to the women in their fight for their rights and freedom.
Women will benefit a lot from the findings of this study in the following ways. The study will point out the major areas women suffer neglect; like economically, socially politically, health wise, etc. the research findings will teach, the women organizations to continue in their struggle to over come discriminations against women in terms of employment and job promotion and other aspects of fundamental human rights.
Again, the study will make the society to stop thinking that a part is better than the whole and equally, to stop neglecting their human resources (women) and accordingly, try to include woman in every activity. The study will also bring to focus, the real issues involved in the role of women in community development in Nigeria. This will make the society to work towards eradicating the obstacles that have stood in the ways of women’s role in Nigeria and Umuagwu in particular.
The society will benefit a lot from the findings because the important roles of woman towards community development would be made very obvious.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study will primarily focus on the relationship between women participation in development activities and development itself.
It will cover areas like the factors militating against the efficacy of the role of women in rural development and possible solutions as well, but will not pay much attention to the society at large as it affects women and development but will concentrate on Okija women in Ihiala.
1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Data collection owing to the fact that this research work adopted the interview method as the instrument of data collection, was one of the limitations of the study. Naturally, the interview method of data collection has always encountered problems due to the fact that some people may be suspicious of interview and their motives, thus distortion of information (either as a result of honest misunderstanding or as a result of purposeful misinterpretation) is a real possibility.
Secondly, the nonchalance of some women towards development issues was also a problem in the course of carrying out this research.
Time was also a limitation to the study as there were several other issues to attend to.
Also, lack of fund and sponsorship which nearly discouraged the researcher was a limitation to a great extent.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
In the course of carry out this research, the following concepts are defined as were applied within the context of this research work.
Community: There is no precise definition of the concept of “community” as many writers and authors have given various definitions to the word. Chaturvedi (2006:60) as contained in Onyenwigwe (2011:293) states that a community is “the total organization of social life within a limited area”.
Community Development: Warren (1971:324) defined community development as a deliberate and sustained attempt to strengthen the horizontal pattern of a community.
Development: The term is complex, ambiguous and multi-faceted. It has no acceptable definition as each definer perceives it from his/her own theology. Business dictionary defines it as “the process of economic and social transformation that is based on complex cultural and environmental factor and their interactions.
Women Organization: Refers to the act of arranging female adult of human being into groups with different objectives and names.
Role: refers to the function or importance of women.
Women: This refers to the female adult of human beings.
Stereotyping: Here, it means idea, character that has become fixed or standardized and the idea may be false.
Politics: Lasswell (1936) considers politics as involving “who gests what, when and how?
Ventures: It refers to a business, project or activity, especially one that involves taking risks.
Felt Need: In this study, it means the most pressing need of people that is identified by them and attempted doing something about it.
Efficacious: Producing the result that was wanted or intended.
Factors: It refers to fact, circumstances etc, that helps to produce a result.
Population: It refers to all the people living in a particular area, city or country.
Orientation: Here, it means training or information that is given before starting a project or new job.
Enlightenment: Knowledge about and understanding of something, the process of understanding something or making somebody understand it.
Sexism: The unfair treatment of people, especially women, because of their sex.
Abdicate: To fail or refuse to perform a duty.
Organization of the Study
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (background of the study), statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope of the study etc. Chapter two being the review of the related literature presents the theoretical framework, conceptual framework and other areas concerning the subject matter. Chapter three is a research methodology covers deals on the research design and methods adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study