| Peer-Reviewed

Women and Rural Development in Nigeria: Some Critical Issues for Policy Consideration

Received: 12 August 2015     Accepted: 29 August 2015     Published: 8 September 2015
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This paper examines the broad idea of gender and development with specific focus on some critical issues and challenges confronting the involvement of rural women in development activities in Nigeria. The paper addresses this issue through some theoretical and empirical review of literatures. Major impacts of women in rural development in Nigeria have been discussed and situated at historical perspectives through analysis of policies and programmes of government. Although women have served as critical agents of rural economic transformation, such role has been limited in scope, mostly shaped by the dictates of local patriarchy and religious beliefs. Their impacts have been felt indirectly in subsistent agriculture, and directly at the domestic domain. A number of challenges affecting their active involvement in rural development have been discussed to include the prevalence of cultural and institutional barriers as well as limited access to critical infrastructures in the rural areas. Policy recommendations focus on practical, legislative, legal and administrative actions that are particularly targeted at addressing those barriers.

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 4, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11
Page(s) 110-118
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Gender Mainstreaming, Rural Infrastructures, Cultural and Institutional Barriers, Women, Rural Development

References
[1] Akpabio, E. M. (2008). Water and Poverty: the Experiences of Rural Village Dwellers in Akwa Ibom State. In Igbozurike, U. M., Awuzie, U. A., Onyenechere, E. C. (Eds). Rural Poverty in Nigeria. Cape Publishers Int’l Limited, Abuja, Nigeria, 201-211
[2] Amain UC (1998). Agricultural research and extension delivery system in sub-Saharan Africa, University of Calabar Press. Calabar.
[3] Attoe, E. (un dated). Women in the development of Nigeria since pre-colonial times. http://www.onlinenigeria.com/links/LinksReadPrint.asp?blurb=150. Accessed 05/08/2015
[4] Blakely E. (1989). Planning local economic development. Sage, Newbury Park
[5] Blench R. (2003). Position paper: the rural dimension (Nigeria: drivers of change). Paper prepared for DFID. Cambridge 22 October. http://www.rogerblench.info/RBOP.htm
[6] Brandt B. (1995). Whole life economics: revealing daily life. New Society Publishers, Philadelphia, PA. USA
[7] Damisa, M. A. and M. Yohanna, 2007. Role of rural women in farm management decision making process: Ordered probit analysis. Trends in Applied Science Research, 2(3): 241-145.
[8] Gardner, K. and D. Lewis (2003). Cited in Tavira, N. B. and F. H. Tapia (2008). The emergence of the relation between rural development and gender. Convergencia, num.48, September-December:203-234. UAEMex, Mexico.
[9] Gopinath C and Kalra AH (1985). India: Gujirat medium irrigation project. In: Kaur M. and ML Sharma (1991). Role of women in rural development (page 11). Journal of Rural Studies 7 (1/2), pp. 11-16
[10] IFAD (2011). Rural Poverty in Nigeria. http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/country/home/tags/nigeria. International Fund for Agricultural Development.
[11] Kamar YM, NI Lawal, SI Babangida and UA Jahun (2014). Rural development in Nigeria: problems and prospects for sustainable development. The International Journal of Engineering and Science (IJES) 3(12): 24-29
[12] Kandiyoti, D. (1990). Women and rural development policies: the changing agenda. Development and Change. Vol 21: 5-22.
[13] Kaur, M. and M. L. Sharma (1991). Role of women in rural development. Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 7, No. ½.pp.11-16.
[14] Lamming, G. N., 1983. Women in cooperation: Constraint and limitation to full participation. A publication of Human Resource Institute and Agrarian Reform Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
[15] Little, J. (1987). Gender relations in rural areas: the importance of women’s domestic role. Journal of Rural Studies 3 (4): 335-342
[16] Little J. (1984). Social change in rural communities: a planning perspective. Cited in: Little, J. (1987). Gender relations in rural areas: the importance of women’s domestic role. Journal of Rural Studies 3 (4): 335-342
[17] Mann RS (1979). Social structure, social change and future trends: Indian village perspectives. Rawat, Jaipur. In: Kaur, M. and M. L. Sharma (1991). Role of women in rural development. Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 7, No. ½.pp.11-16.
[18] Mencher, J. (1982). Women’s work and poverty: their contribution to household maintenance in southern Indian states. Presented at the Conference on Women and Income Control in the Third World, Columbia University, New York.
[19] Muoghalu, L. N. (1992). Rural development in Nigeria: a review of previous initiatives. In Olisa, M. S. O. and Obiukwu, J. I. (eds). Rural development in Nigeria: dynamics and strategies. Mekslink Publishers. Awka.
[20] Ogunlela YI and Mukhtar AA (2009). Gender issues in agriculture and rural development in Nigeria: the role of women. Humanity and Social Sciences Journal 4 (1): 19-30
[21] Olayiwola, L. M. and O. A. Adeleye (2005). Rural Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Between 1960 and 1990-problems and challenges. Journal of Social Science 11 (2): 91-96.
[22] Onokerhoraye, A. E. (1978). Planning for rural development in Nigeria: a spatial approach. Community Development Journal. Vol 13, No. 1.
[23] O Toole K and A. Macgarvey (2009). Rural women and local economic development I south-west Victoria. Journal of Rural Studies 19: 173-186.
[24] Pala, A. O., 1976. The role of African women in rural development research priorities. Discussion Paper No. 203, Nairobi, Kenya: Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
[25] Piore M. (1995). Local development on the progressive political agenda. In: Crouch C., Marquand D (Eds). Reinventing collective action. From the global to the local. Blackwell, Oxford.
[26] Rahman, M. (1987). Women and rural development in Pakistan. Journal of Rural Studies 3 (3): 247-255.
[27] Sharma, U. (1981). Women, work and poverty in north-west India. Tavistock Publications, London.
[28] Tavira, N. B. and F. H. Tapia (2008). The emergence of the relation between rural development and gender. Convergencia, num.48, September-December:203-234. UAEMex, Mexico.
[29] Udeh, C. A. (1989). Rural development in Nigeria. Habitat Intl 13 (3): 95-100.
[30] United Nations (1997). Report of the Economic and Social Council for 1997. A/52/3.18. September.
[31] Waring M. (1999). Counting for nothing: what men value and what women are worth. University of Toronto Press. Toronto
[32] Wolman H. and Spitzley D. (1996). The politics of local economic development. Economic Development Quarterly 10 (2) 115-150
[33] Zhao Z. and T. Kanamori (2007). Infrastructure and regional development in the People’s Republic of China. ADB Institute Discussion Paper No. 69.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Nseabasi S. Akpan. (2015). Women and Rural Development in Nigeria: Some Critical Issues for Policy Consideration. Social Sciences, 4(5), 110-118. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Nseabasi S. Akpan. Women and Rural Development in Nigeria: Some Critical Issues for Policy Consideration. Soc. Sci. 2015, 4(5), 110-118. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Nseabasi S. Akpan. Women and Rural Development in Nigeria: Some Critical Issues for Policy Consideration. Soc Sci. 2015;4(5):110-118. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11,
      author = {Nseabasi S. Akpan},
      title = {Women and Rural Development in Nigeria: Some Critical Issues for Policy Consideration},
      journal = {Social Sciences},
      volume = {4},
      number = {5},
      pages = {110-118},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20150405.11},
      abstract = {This paper examines the broad idea of gender and development with specific focus on some critical issues and challenges confronting the involvement of rural women in development activities in Nigeria. The paper addresses this issue through some theoretical and empirical review of literatures. Major impacts of women in rural development in Nigeria have been discussed and situated at historical perspectives through analysis of policies and programmes of government. Although women have served as critical agents of rural economic transformation, such role has been limited in scope, mostly shaped by the dictates of local patriarchy and religious beliefs. Their impacts have been felt indirectly in subsistent agriculture, and directly at the domestic domain. A number of challenges affecting their active involvement in rural development have been discussed to include the prevalence of cultural and institutional barriers as well as limited access to critical infrastructures in the rural areas. Policy recommendations focus on practical, legislative, legal and administrative actions that are particularly targeted at addressing those barriers.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Women and Rural Development in Nigeria: Some Critical Issues for Policy Consideration
    AU  - Nseabasi S. Akpan
    Y1  - 2015/09/08
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11
    T2  - Social Sciences
    JF  - Social Sciences
    JO  - Social Sciences
    SP  - 110
    EP  - 118
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2326-988X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20150405.11
    AB  - This paper examines the broad idea of gender and development with specific focus on some critical issues and challenges confronting the involvement of rural women in development activities in Nigeria. The paper addresses this issue through some theoretical and empirical review of literatures. Major impacts of women in rural development in Nigeria have been discussed and situated at historical perspectives through analysis of policies and programmes of government. Although women have served as critical agents of rural economic transformation, such role has been limited in scope, mostly shaped by the dictates of local patriarchy and religious beliefs. Their impacts have been felt indirectly in subsistent agriculture, and directly at the domestic domain. A number of challenges affecting their active involvement in rural development have been discussed to include the prevalence of cultural and institutional barriers as well as limited access to critical infrastructures in the rural areas. Policy recommendations focus on practical, legislative, legal and administrative actions that are particularly targeted at addressing those barriers.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 5
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

  • Sections