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The role of women in rural development

The role of women in rural development  A Case Study Of  Abriba Local Government Area of Abia State in
Nigeria

Department of
History and International studies

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background of Study

 The most comprehensive perception of
development is one that conceives a multi-dimensional process involving changes
in structures, altitudes and institutions, as well as the acceleration of
economic growth, the reduction of inequality and eradication of absolute
poverty. According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (2000) a precursor of such
change capable of fostering development is the ability of policy makers to
induce desirable changes in the economic structure of any nation. Such polices
must induce a wide range of changes in the entire social system, tuned to the
diverse basic needs and desires of individuals and social groups within the
system. Also, it should move away from a condition of life that is widely
perceived as sub-standard as experienced in the rural areas and towards
condition of life regarded as materially and spiritually better1.

Rural development, is a process
of  not only increasing the level of per
capita income in the rural areas but also of the standard of living of the
rural population, where the standard of living depends on such factors as
food,  nutrition level, health,
education, housing, recreation and security2. On the other hand,
rural development is seen in terms of the condition and percentage of the labor
force in the agricultural sector, although it is argued that a program of rural
development should go beyond agriculture to include the country’s total
economic development in rural areas because about 70 percent of Nigeria’s labor
force is employed in the agricultural sector, which is characterized by a
predominance of small-scale production using mostly local inputs3.

Globally,
women’s influence and contribution in the developmental process  has become very significant to the extent of
drawing the attention of most authorities to a point of consideration and need
to create equal opportunities between women and their male counterpart.
Nigerian women has a recognized place in society which makes it possible for
gifted ones among them to rise to positions of political, economic and social
eminence from which they led and dominated not only their fellow  women but men as well. Some schools of
thought believe that women all over the world have contributed immensely to the
development of nations while other school of thought believe that women have
contributed nothing rather than their domestic affairs such as family welfare,
of which in the case of Nigeria women has contributed a lot towards to national
development, hence this goes to show that the role of women in society cannot be
over emphasized in the functions they perform both at the state and federal
level4.

 In the past women have been described as
mothers of the nation, it is believed that many society hardly develop without
women, generally, in Nigeria, there has been great apathy on the past of women
and especially those from Abiriba community.

However,
Nigeria women have involved themselves in developmental activities like
politics economy and social  development
since the independence. Notable women activist during pre-independence like
late Mrs.  F. Ransome Kuti, and of recent
chief Mrs. Bola Balatope, Mrs. Margaret Ekpo, Late Mrs. Kudurat Abiola, Dr.
Mrs. Jokumba. Dosuma, Chief Mrs. Bosede Oslin have distinguished themselves due
to the roles they played in the emancipation of Nigeria women and the society
at large5. 

The
role of the rural women in the development of their society overtime has be a
contending issue among people of various fields of study especially scholars of
development. Therefore, this study examines the role of women in rural
development  with particular attention on
Abriba Local Government Area of Abia State in Nigeria as case study.

1.1 Statement of problem

Despite significant improvements
since attainment of independence in Nigeria like many nations in the developing
world, extreme poverty remains widespread. The Nigerian economy began to
experience recession from the early 1980 and as a result, she moved from middle
level income and a developing industrial nation to become one of the poorest nations
in the world (Central Bank of Nigeria, 2002-2003). Specifically, the incidence
of poverty has been high and upward swinging since 1980. Data from the Federal
Office of Statistics (FOS) on the poverty profile of Nigeria (1999) showed that
the incidence of poverty rose from 28.1 percent in 1980 to 46.3 percent in 1985
but dropped slightly to 42.7 percent in 1992 before rising to 65.6 percent in
1996.

The rural areas in most parts of
Nigeria exhibit great poverty, poor health condition and ignorance as a result
of varying degree of geographical, social and political isolation. In Nigeria,
more than 75% of the population live and work in rural areas though the
emphasis of spatial planning has for a long time been on urban areas rather
than regional problems whereby the rural areas would have benefited. This has
led to the relegation of the rural areas to the background in the spatial
economy of the country resulting in a wide spread of rural-urban migration of
able women. This problem has been compounded by unattractive opportunities of
generating income from agriculture.

Women rarely have access to the
resources that would make their work more productive and ease their heavy
workload. Ultimately, it is not just women who are held back, but also their
families, their communities and local economies. Despite their many
responsibilities, women have significantly less access to the resources and
services they need to increase their productivity and their income and ease
their burden of household duties. Women are held back by lack of education,
unequal property rights and limited control over resources. It is on this
backdrop that this research will examine the role of women in rural development
with particular attention to Abriba Local Government Area of Abia State.

1.2 Aim and objectives of
Study

 Having observed the various problem militating
against women participation in the attainment of development in areas as policy
making, implementation and involvement in the program and projects for
development it is therefore needful to point it out here that we communities
should make use of it’s human (non-power) resource available for the
attainments of development.

          The purpose for this study is aimed at
encouraging women at the rural communities that they have to rise up to the
challenge of emancipating themselves from the old views held about them in the
society. the research work aimed at informing agents of government responsible
for positive growth and development to give adequate support to women so that
they can appreciate their roles and play it better than before.

          To examine the involvement of Abiriba
women in the development of the community starting from the pre-colonial period
and extend to the contemporary time and to educate the men folks on the needs
to accommodate the women properly in all issues relating to the society,
although right from the creation of the world the women are regarded as
helpmate.

1.3     Scope
of the study

This
study is intended to address various issues as it affect the role women play in
community development using Abiriba as a case in point. All these include
position of women in the decision making process of the community, the
examination of the level of women participation in political social  development in Abiriba in particular. The
study will examine some of the obnoxious culture and tradition of the people
that end anger or limit the economic contribution by women in community
development.

1.4    
Research methodology

This
research project made use of two (2) major source which are primary and
secondary sources. The primary sources used for this study are oral interviews
conducted within the area covered by the research.

          The secondary sources were gotten from
published works among which are: text books journals internet publication.

1.5     Literature
review

There
is need for a review of the work and opinions of some scholars on the role of
women in rural development. To this end a couple of review have been presented
below;

          According to C.B Nwahukwu in his book
“Development and administration in New and emergent states”, he defines
development as an integral process of indenting opportunities for individual
social groups and territorially organized communities at small and intermediate
scale and mobilizing the full rang of their capacities and resources for the
common benefit in social, economic and political terms. He further argued that
the specific type of development initiated by the politico-administrative
elites is the most suitable one for all the other members of society and should
therefore replace other existing notions of development.

          However, C.B Nwachukwu saw women as a
catalyst in the developments process. He argued that women occupied a very
important social, economic political position in pre-colonial Nigeria. It is said
that in all the main areas of economic activity agricultures, trade and
manufactures, women played outstanding roles. They were major sources of labour
in agricultures.

          Anikpo, M.O.C. in his book titled
“Foundation for Social Science Research” 
argued that the western type of education sets new set of social values
and legal systems act as some of the reason for women, inferiority. Yet for
Nigeria; at least the Federal Office of Statistical (FOS) estimated the rural
women population of Nigeria to be 51.6% in 1985. The 1991 provisional census
figure shows the women constitute 49.6% of Nigeria’s population. In this study
area used here, women constitute of 50.48% which is very close to national
figure. Two inferences can be made from the above statistics. The first is that
it will be sheer planning and executive development efforts. Secondly, women
are likely to be the best contributors and the most affected by the consequence
development efforts in any community. Thus women constitute a critical proportion
of the productive population of Nigeria. “Africa politics” by Emezi, C.E and
Ndoh C.A said that women contribution to environmental development are many.
The role of women in the environmental education start from home with the
different vigorous domestic work chores. Children are taught, which ranges from
sweeping to cleaning and washing both plates and their body. In doing so they
don’t only learn to keep the environment clean. By so doing the women train
their children on the basic environmental ethics ranging from body clearing to
general house cleaning. They are indeed the first known environment educators.

          O Moachu cited in Ndoh’s book on
“African Politics” revealed that women play a decisive part when it comes to
fighting poverty. In Nigeria women are exposed to considerable discrimination
even though they assume a particular important key role in this country’
process of development inspite of relatives 
improvement, politic. This ugly situation had negative effect not only
on their effective participation in development programmes but also on their
development programmes but also on their capability to attain self realization
and fulfillment.

          Lai Oturode in “women and social
changes in Nigeria” he agrees that he traditionally and historically, women
occupied various positions in various societies. In ancient Rome Althens and
Egypt for instance women occupied various position which were defined by the
cultural norms and values of these societies rather than what they would get
for them. Dr. Sophic B. Olurode agreed the traditional African societies would
reserve remarkable power for women but inspite of this, they were not allowed
to use their power. The issue remains that going by the functionalist approach,
women are a part of the society and have certain functions that they exhibit.

          According to Afigbe, A. E in his book
title “Women as a factor in Development”, agreed that to the extend mankind
needed all it’s physical and mental energy to achieve the much longed for
transformation of their environment and social condition of existence, women
regarded as units of physical energy came to be seen in new height as very  important factors for success in development.
He went further to argued that essentially preoccupied with the orthodox
volition of domestic roles and achievement finely did not see it fit to
consider that it was possible that it was the secure home and domestic
happiness place which the silent women of Rome provided for their men folk that
made them to venture out and perform the brave deed.

          As pointed by Okojie M. I. “Women in
Management”, paper presented at the new conference on contribution of women to
national development; agrees that women not only work hard whether in the
formal or informal sector of the economy, but it would be noted that women are
good managers. Women are managers of situations whether in the home at the far.
A places of worship, mosque, at work setting etc. these women manage people,
challenges changes etc. and adopt to circumstance of scarcity and certainties in
the economy. Yet in Nigeria today less than five (15) percents of managers in
strategic sectors are women. The traits which haves often been seen in
successful managers are masculinity, aggressiveness, competitiveness, firmness
and justice and these qualities have been traditionally viewed as being absent
among Nigeria women”.

          Walter Rodney, in his book “How Europe
underdeveloped African” maintains that the role of women dependent on
pre-colonial Africans show that two contracting but combined tendencies. In the
first place women were exploited by men through polygamous arrangements
designed to capture the labour power of women. In his view exploitation was
accompanied by oppression, which at most always reduces women boast of burden.
He however, emphasized mother right as a means of escape for women to attaining
their right. However, Rodney by his use of the independent pre-colonial African
as his reference for the assessment  of
women’s role had understand the role of exploitation women were undergoing since
independent in the society”.

          Pauline D., in his book “women of
tropical Africa” defined the role of women in political organization in term of
their participation direct or indirect in the activities of groups of
sub-group, which exercise authority. To facilitate analysis the very large
number of African political system has been assigned to this category of
societies in which organized stat with centralized authority and administrative
machinery and in which an economy based on the profit motive has created social
classed between which there is unequal contribution of wealth and differences
in status on the other societies in which the political structures is more or
less fused with kinship organization kinship ties being the basic of social
relation according to Catherine Acholonu there can be not true development
nation or environmental without the full participation of women at the grass
roots. There must be full participation of women leader and administration in
her book title “Matherison of Afrocentrics Alternative to feminism”
conclusively the emphasis of mothers right by the various writes as a means of
ameliorating and restorations of women due privileges in the society was rather
insufficiently treated, this was women’s African countries, even were the case
of Abiriba which is our case study was not considered in the above literature.

1.6 Characterization

This work is divided
into (5) five chapters. The chapter one is about the introduction of the work
that is background   of the study, aims
and objectives of study, scope of the study, research methodology,
literature  review, chapterization.
Chapter two (2) historical background of Abiriba people, the role of women in
rural development in time perspective and chapter three (3) covers the women
and community development in Abiriba during the pre-colonial and colonial era,
women in the development of Abiriba during contemporary time and lastly the
instrument used by the Abiriba women in actualizing their aims chapter four (4)
will base on the problem militating against women in playing their roles
effective and prospects for women participation in the development process of
the community. Chapter five will be conclusion, recommendation and bibliography