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Copyright © IAARR, www.afrrev.com 272
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An International Multi-Disciplinary Journal, Ethiopia
Vol. 4 (3b) July, 2010
ISSN 1994-9057 (Print) ISSN 2070-0083 (Online)
Women NGO’s and Women Empowerment in
Nigeria (Pp. 272-280)
Arum, I. – Department of Political Science, University of Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
E-mail: arumcnwchrist@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract
An investigation was carried out into the activities of various women non –
governmental organizations (NGO) in Nigeria, as a veritable tool for women
empowerment. The results of the research revealed that women NGO’s have
ventured into areas that were previously ignored by government such areas
include female genital mutilation, women trafficking, widowhood rites,
women reproductive health, among others. In other for these NGO’s to be
more effective and offer greater benefits in the development of Nigeria and
Nigerian women. The study recommended that the NGO’s or government
should design programmes between the women in developed countries and
those in Nigeria. The research further recommended that customs and
taboos averse to women education should be dismantled.
Keywords: Women Empowerment, Non – Governmental Organisation, irst
Ladyship.
Introduction
Women empowerment involves the transformation of economic, social,
psychology, political and legal circumstances of women. Women NGO’s
have been recognized as a very important tool for the empowerment of
Nigeria women. Another institution which holds enormous potentials for the
empowerment of women in Nigeria is the office of the First Lady. The issue
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of women empowerment has undoubtedly become an integral part of
contemporary discourse in development and democratization worldwide.
Women were largely ignored in planning, design and implementation of
development programmes or policies which affect them directly. This is
despite the fact that they play roles which are central to development process.
Asogwa (1995:1) for instance pointed out that Nigerian women comprises of
almost half of the entire population, produce about 60% of the food crops, are
involved in 90% of food processing, raise the children, maintain the
household, fetch all the drinking water and fuel, tend livestock and trade in
commodities. Yet, they perform these key tasks under harsh conditions, and
with poor training tools, as a result, often at very low levels of productivity.
As noted by Oluwasola (1998:59) A number of factors were responsible for
the situation whereby women’s roles in promoting economic and social
change continues to be inadequately recognized and undervalued, such
factors include;
• The male dominated cultures in Nigeria like in most developing
nations which give women an inferior position in the society.
• Customs, taboos and the sexual division of labour which keeps
women surbordinate to men
• The failure of economics to put value on unpaid production activit
ies performed by women at the domestic front, and in their family
farms.
The United Nations declared 1975 through 1985 “Decade for Women”. Four
world Conferences on women were held; Mexico City 1975, Copenhagen
1980, Nairobi 1985 and 1995 Beijing Conference. These conferences
directed the searchlight on a variety of issues affecting the status of women in
the society. These issues among others include Violence against Women,
Women’s Rights as Human Rights and Women’s Reproductive Health etc. It
was not until then, that the woman’s question entered the political agenda in
Nigeria. Various national development plans (before and post Independence),
were gender blind, and gave no specific place to gender issues in Nigeria.
These Conferences spurred Nigerian women to come together and form Non
– Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) to empower themselves.
Government also designed some programmes that can ignite women
development. Yet, they were dominant in executing these programmes.
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International Agencies that were interested in women development in
developing countries operated on government to government basis.
Unfortunately, government was not able to successfully implement these
development plans due to corruption by government officials, bureaucratic
bottleneck, lack of commitment by government officials etc. The failure of
government agencies to successfully implement these women developmental
projects made the International donors to look for alternatives and effective
structures for programme implementation. They found Women NGO’s in
Nigeria a veritable tool to be used in empowering women for sustainable
development. This paper aims to review the various women non –
governmental organizations in Nigeria, highlight their role in the
empowerment of women, show the significance of First Ladyship in women
empowerment, identify the problems facing women NGO’s in the
empowerment of women. However, the scope will be limited to Women
NGO’S in Post Independent Nigeria.
Overview of Women NGO’S in Nigeria
As earlier mentioned, The UN Declaration of 1975 – 1985 as Women Decade
stimulated Nigerian women to take concrete actions concerning their plight.
During the period, many women NGO’s were formed to empower Nigeria
women.
A review some of these NGO’s is pertinent here
Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN)
The Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) was initiated by
Chief (Mrs.) Ogunleye in 1982 (Ibid). Cowan approached the empowerment
of rural women using “bottom up” approach. It is the only organization in the
country where the Board of Directors are rural women with Mrs. Ogunleye as
the Secretary (The Guardian 28 September, 2005). Its main goal is to
empower rural women towards achieving self sufficiency. This association
has succeeded in providing members with credit assistance, health and family
planning, education and services, technical and managerial advice, training in
agriculture and small scale businesses. It started off with 6 cooperative
societies in 1982 in the Ondo State and now has well over 600 societies,
operating in virtually all the 37 states in the country, including Abuja (David
1995: 16). According to Chief Ogunleye, the individual membership is about
18,000 poor families. The organization has also facilitated access to credit for
smaller women’s groups in South West Nigeria. Studies have shown that
women have proved to be good borrowers who pay back on time (Ibid). They
Women NGO’s and Women Empowerment in Nigeria
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are reliable, preferring loans to grants, and enjoying the dignity that paying
borrowed money affords them. Women’s participation is strong in credit
unions and co – operative organizations, which provide both savings and loan
services to members. They participate both as members and as full – time
officers within these groups (Olumese 1998:160). The various achievementp
of this organization earned the co – ordinator, Mrs. Ogunleye the prestigious
award of United Nations Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End to
Hunger Project and Advocacy.
Women in Nigeria (WIN)
This organization emerged in 1982 (WIN Document 1985). It was formed by
a group of women academics with majority in Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria. WIN’S achievement could be seen in the area of raising consciousness
amongst people about the subordinate position occupied by women in
Nigeria. WIN argues that the only way the position of women can be
improved is through the transformation of the social system. This has been
done through various publications, organization of seminars, symposia and
conferences.
Women Research and Documentation Center (WORDOC)
This was also formed in the early 80’s. Its main aim is to coordinate research
and documentation efforts of various women research groups. This
organization has succeeded in encouraging documentation on women issues
in Nigeria.
Miscellaneous (Sundry) Women Empowerment Groups
There are many other professional women empowerment groups such as
Nigeria Association of Women in Business, National Association of Women
Journalists, Association of Women Lawyers, Association of University
Women, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria etc.These organizations
have empowered women belonging to them, through educating them on the
fact that they have same abilities and potentials as their male counterparts
and therefore should not feel inferior to them. There are also religious groups
such as Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), Federation of
Muslim Women Association (FOMWON), and Muslim Sisters’ Organization
of Nigeria. These organizations have empowered women to understand about
themselves, their roles as women, and how they can use their position to
influence decisions especially in their families. There are also more parochial
women groups reflecting specific ethnic preferences, for instance, the
Jam’Iyyar matau Arewa, concerned with issues such as reproductive health
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of women. In the South East, there is Otu Umunwanyi which is in charge of
women affairs in the community. There are also women political groups like
Council of Women Politicians, Network of Justice, Women in Politics and
Policy, Women Rights Collective. These organizations have through
seminars, publications and conferences encouraged women to stand for
elective posts
First Ladyship and Women Ngo’s
Following the UN declaration of 1975 – 1985 as the “Decade for Women”,
Mrs. Maryam Babangida launched Better Life Programme (BLP) in 1987
(Arum 2007:42). Its objectives were to empower rural women economically,
socially and politically. Subsequent First Ladies have taken a cue from this
and had initated various programmes ranging from women empowerment,
children emancipation and poverty alleviation. However, Mrs. Lami
Abubakar was the first First Lady to make her foundation a non –
governmental organization (NGO). Mrs. Abubakar was Nigeria’s First Lady
between 1998-1999. Her foundation, Women Rights Advancement and
Protection Alternative (WRAPA) was established in March 1999. It is a
registered non-governmental organization (NGO) with Corporate Affairs
Commission of Nigeria with registration number RC 11814. WRAPA is
focusing on the LEGAL RIGHTS of women irrespective of colour, creed or
social status and is rendering services to women to ensure the actualization of
these rights (WRAPA Newsletter Oct – Dec 2002) . This organization indeed
succeeded in empowering Nigeria women through enlightenment of women
regarding their legal rights, offering of free legal services and empowerment
of women in vocational skills. Within the period 2004 – 2006, WRAPA
successfully handled 494 cases of women rights were abused (WRAPA
Newsletter Jan – July 2006). Through their activities, a former President,
Chief Obasanjo promised to implement 30% women political representation.
Though he didn’t fulfill it, it is incontrovertible that no president in Nigeria
has appointed as many women in federal cabinet as did President Obasanjo.
He appointed women to very key and sensitive positions.
Child Care Trust
Mrs. Stella Obasanjo became the First Lady in May 1999 (Punch January 15,
2001). On November 1999, she announced the establishment of the Child
Care Trust. This trust was established to tackle the problems of poverty,
unemployment, nutrition, health and education as they affect children (Ibid).
The organization has succeeded in bringing succour to many disadvantaged
children through offering them scholarships, offering medical services and
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providing accommodation. Mrs. Obasanjo did all she could to encourage
women participation in governance. She was reported to have said in a
speech at the African News Service that though the President had made a
commitment to improving living conditions in Nigeria, things will continue
to deteriorate in the country unless more women are allowed to participate in
governance (The Vanguard, October 5th, 2004). She therefore, encouraged
the President to appoint more women into his cabinet.
Mrs Turai Yar Adua (2007 Till Date)
Mrs. Turai Yar Adua, the First Lady of Nigeria from 2007 till date also
launched programs to empower women. The Firsts Lady’s interests are in the
issues of Public Health and enhancement of the welfare of the disadvantaged
as part of her effects towards realizing this, the First Lady signed a
memorandum of understanding between MD Anderson Cancer Center in
Houston Texas ( Daily Triumph August 28, 2008).
The Center is to help Nigerian Women suffering from Cancer. Also, through
her efforts the federal government has developed an Integrated Maternal,
newborn and child Health (IMNCH) strategy to strengthen the health system
towards realizing some aspects of the millennium development goals. The
determination of Nigeria’s First Lady to enhance and promote the living
conditions of Nigerian Women and Children, led her to launch a pet project
which she tagged “Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAFOT)
(Vanguard 17 February, 2009). The First Lady also directed the wives of
State Governors to tailor their pet projects towards issues relating to poverty
alleviation , women education and empowerment of rural women
(http://en.wikipedia.org\wiki/Turai_Yar%27Adua). In over 20 states of the
federation, Governor’s wives have launched their pet projects with target
beneficiaries as women, Children and the Youth
(http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/southwest/sw107092007).
Prospects and Problems of Women Ngo’s in Nigeria
Despite the gallant efforts made by women in NGO’s to integrate women in
development and uplift their socio-economic and political status, the
marginalization of women in this domain still remains. Some of the problems
faced by these women NGO’S are as follows:
• Some women NGO’S receive government subvention. Owing to this,
they cannot really attack government policies that will not augur well for
women, for fear that government may stop supporting them financially.
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• Some of these women lack the managerial capabilities to fully manage
these organizations and use them to positively transform the lives of
women. This is not unconnected to the fact that women’s access to
functional education is still very low when compared with men.
• Some women NGO’S tend to show strong elitist biases, preferences and
orientations. Thus, rather than seek radical alterations in the existing
order and arrangements that are against women empowerment. They
condone them because many of them are in the corridors of power. An
attack on government would have amounted to a situation in which a
house is divided against itself.
• Most of these women NGO’S are concerned about economic
empowerment of women. For them, political issues are secondary in
their advocacy activities. They fail to realize the fact that unless women
are well represented in decision making organs, women empowerment
will be difficult, if not impossible to attain.
Prospects of Women NGO’s
• Exchange programmes should de designed by NGO’S or
government to encourage solidarity between women in developed
countries and Nigerian women. Exchange of experiences between
developed and developing countries could facilitate more efficient
ways of empowering women through these NGO’S.
• In order to increase the number of women in elected offices. Women
should have confidence in themselves, desist from their supporting
roles during election. They should come out and contest for
elections. Women should encourage one another by supporting
women candidates in election.
• Women NGO’s should not depend solely on government subvention
to run their NGO’s. They should seek for financial assistance from
International agencies, philanthropists etc. They can also be
involved in small scale businesses that can yield money.
• Customs and taboos that are discriminatory to women’s education
should be dismantled.
Women NGO’s and Women Empowerment in Nigeria
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Conclusion
Women NGO’s have become a veritable force to be reckoned with in women
empowerment. The recognition of this fact make this NGO’s to enjoy the
support of international donor agencies. The declaration of the UN in
declaring 1975 -1985 as United Nations Decade for Women can never be
over emphasized. This brought about global awareness of the plight of
women. Also, various African government International Agencies; Non
Governmental Organizations. (NGO’S) and activists, became concerned with
the need to raise the socio-economic status of women through access to
functional education, economic opportunities, and health facilities, among
others. The number of NGO’S managed by women showed that contrary to
conventional stereotyping, women have remarkable organizational and
mobilisation capacity, that is yet to be fully exploited by them and other
agencies interested in lightening the burden of women for a balanced and
sustainable national development
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