Women empowerment and participation in economic activities: Indispensable tools for self-reliance and development of Nigerian society

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine women empowerment and participation in economic activities as tools for self-reliance and development of the Nigerian society. Research questions and hypothesis were used to guide the study. Structured questionnaire was used as the major instrument for data collection. Copies of questionnaires were administered to 402 women randomly selected from 6 out of the 21 local government Areas of Anambra State. 351 copies of questionnaire recovered were analyzed using mean to answer the research questions and t-test statistic to draw inferences about the hypothesis. The results showed that: farming, trading, craft, food processing, hair dressing, poultry and the likes were the major economic activities performed by women in Anambra state. Personal savings, family assistance, philanthropist’s assistance, loans and credits, cooperative society assistance, group contributions, were the sources of fund available to the women for their economic activities. Education and health promotion, food supply and distribution, were some of the services rendered by the women that bring about societal development. Inability of government to provide support, corruption on the part of implementers, family burden, cultural restrictions, husband influence, illiteracy were the obstacles women encounter in carrying out their economic activities. Provision of sustainable land tenure system, provision of soft loans and credits, training programmes, funding, establishment of cooperative societies, were some of the strategies proffered to enhance women participation in economic activities. Key words: Women empowerment, economic activities, self-reliance, societal development