Abstract
Globally, crave for sustainable development and increasing women participation in governance have been on unabated. This is premised on the belief that sustainable development is attainable where and when there is good governance and gender justice. Making use of library research and content analysis methodologies, the paper detailed in a systematic manner the missing link in sustainable development in Africa with particular emphasis on Nigeria. It analyses the current practice ofsextortion among the women in decision- making processes and leadership at the national, state and local levels and its impact on development. More so, the paper discusses the conditions that facilitate womens representation in decision-making processes within the context of the current socio-economic and political transformations. It also examines the linkages between womens presence in critical decision-making positions and sustainable development. The paper contends that most states in Africa are yet to attain development to be sustained. It blames the African leaders and the patriarchal states for the precarious pace at which the region develops. The paper concludes that sustainable development will remain a pie in the sky in Africa for as long as greed, self-centeredness and emperornic disposition of African leaders as well as mass poverty and infrastructural decay continue.
Highlights
As part of the democratization, globalization and development agenda going on across the world, the clamour has been for the empowerment of women and their inclusion in societal administration on equal basis with their male counterparts
All over the world today, Africa inclusive, the quest by most stakeholders – governments, policy makers, women leaders, women organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), etc. - has been for gender sensitive policies such that would guarantee equal representation of men and women in government and administration as well as societal issues generally
While it can be said that only very few countries in Africa have followed this pathway to development, a larger percentage of African countries are still hovering at a very snail pace and lagging behind in this democratized and jet age
Summary
As part of the democratization, globalization and development agenda going on across the world, the clamour has been for the empowerment of women and their inclusion in societal administration on equal basis with their male counterparts. Ther efore, women are hardly part of the decision-making processes and are excluded from policymaking and execution leading to their disempowerment and marginalization This official neglect has pauperized the country and robbed it of the potentials needed for development and sustainable development. A developed country is one in which the great mass of the inhabitants are able to procure, with moderate toil, what is necessary for living human lives, lives of frugal and assured comfort Indicators of such development would be seen in terms of the general material condition of the people, the level to which they have succeeded in reducing the exploitation of man -by-man, the level of popular participation in the socioeconomic set up and the level of individual freedom guaranteed in the society. According to NCED (1987:49), the operational objectives of sustainable development are stated in the table below:
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