The Social Phenomenon of Women Empowerment in Nigeria: A Theoretical Approach

Eucharia N. Nwagbara, Grace R. Etuk, Michael Baghebo

Department of Economics, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Nigeria.
Department of Sociology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.

DOI: 10.4236/sm.2012.24051                

Abstract

Women have continued to make immense contributions to development in Nigeria. These landmark achievements have not been without challenges, hence the predominance of women issues at local, national and international seminars, workshops and symposia. Issues such as women’s status, roles, and needs have been of utmost concern. Efforts to address these issues led to the adoption of various strategies towards making women relevant in every sphere of life in the society. One strategy that had gained currency over the years among scholars and practitioners of women and gender studies has been that of women “empowerment”. The continued persistence of women’s problems in the areas of gender equality, gender roles, improved social status, etc., raises a number of questions about the empowerment strategies of governmental and non-governmental agencies. Are the strategies based on faulty theoretical assumptions? Is their application in the Nigerian situation faulty? What is the problem of their application in the Nigerian context? This paper attempts to examine these questions against the background of the tenets of women empowerment strategies.

Keywords

Empowerment; Women Participation; Gender Issues; Women’s Status; Policy

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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