Bridging the Gender Gap: Empowering Women and Girls in Nigeria
Updated on Nov 30, 2023 · 8 min read
Introduction
“At the current rate of change, the global gender gap will not close for another 100 years” (UN 2020).It has been 40 years since the implementation of the Convention on all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979), yet, discrimination continues to persist in education, politics legislation and everyday life. According to the World Bank in 2017, more than 41,000 girls were compelled into child marriage daily. This phenomenon primarily stems from societal and parental perceptions of girls.
On the one hand, 131 countries have introduced 274 gender-related legal reforms in the past decade. However, it is estimated that over 2.5 billion women and girls reside in nations that still uphold at least one discriminatory law. These statutes curtail women's autonomy in decisions concerning marriage, divorce, child custody, employment, entrepreneurship, and more.
Women and girls empowerment is not just a moral obligation. It is a strategic imperative for a more equitable and prosperous world. This article explores the significance of bridging the gender gap and how women empowerment can lead to a better future for all.
Understanding the Current Gender Gap
Contemporary economic models have proven inadequate in promoting progress and prosperity for all.The economic opportunity gap widens each year, following a period of stagnation from 2006 to 2020 (though it is an improvement from 14 years ago) (UN 2020). This has left the promise of economic empowerment largely unfulfilled for the majority of women worldwide.
On a global scale, the gender disparity in labor force participation among adults aged 25-54 has remained stagnant over the past two decades.
Less than two-thirds of women (62%) are actively participating in the workforce, in stark contrast to 93% of men.
Among employed women, 58% are engaged in the informal economy, earning low wages and lacking social protection. The persistence of feminized unpaid care and domestic work further compromises women's ability to earn income and accumulate assets for their future.
These responsibilities are essential to sustaining families and economies, yet they remain largely unnoticed and inadequately supported.
While financial inclusion is on the rise worldwide, a gender gap still persists. 80% of women-owned businesses with credit needs are underserved, and women in developing countries are nine percent less likely than men to have a bank account. Women's equal access to financial services not only unlocks their economic potential but also grants them autonomy in financial decision-making.The urgency of the climate crisis underscores the necessity of alternative development paths.
Increasing investments in the care economy and ensuring that women benefit from new green job opportunities are crucial for the success of such pathways.
Additionally, this represents an untapped benefit for the global economy, as estimates suggest that closing the gender gap could boost global GDP by an average of 35% In Nigeria, a prevalent belief in the inferiority of girls compared to boys often leads to expectations that prioritize domestic responsibilities over education and career aspirations for girls. Encouraging girls to challenge stereotypes, pursue careers in male-dominated fields, and engage in STEM education can empower them and bridge gender gaps in these areas(The cable, 2023).
Fostering female empowerment is an economic strategy aimed at reducing poverty by enhancing women's development in politics, social arenas, and economic spheres, ultimately strengthening the nation's progress and diminishing women's vulnerability and dependency. The call for gender sensitivity extends to education.
In 2016, the literacy rate for individuals aged 15-24 was 59.3% for young women and 70.9% for young men. Female enrollment in Nigerian Colleges of Education stood at 46.1%, 47.3%, and 46.4% for the academic sessions of 2014/2015, 2015/2016, and 2016/2017, respectively. For Nigerian universities in 2017, female enrollment was 43.1%, while male enrollment was 56.9%. In the 2016/2017 academic sessions, the percentage of women lecturers in federal Colleges of Education was 33.8%. Furthermore, in 2017, the percentage of female professors in Nigerian Universities was 15.43%.
Nigeria's social imbalance centers on a skewed power dynamic regarding family size, contributing to a crucial population issue. Women lack decision-making authority on childbirth, with few population control initiatives targeting men to address the high fertility rate.
Achieving effective population control requires equal household empowerment for both men and women, addressing imbalances in marriage, religious, and governmental institutions, as well as improving access to healthcare programs. Global efforts, including the United Nations and numerous nations, focus on programs combating gender inequalities, with women's development as a key goal since the third millennium. Women should actively participate in shaping responses to interconnected crises, contributing to the design and evaluation of recovery plans with a focus on gender considerations. They should have an equal say alongside men in all economic decision-making levels.
Socio-cultural norms hinder women's access to capacity-building and various opportunities, locally and globally, that could address longstanding issues of underdevelopment and poverty in their communities.
Empowering girls and women to utilize their skills and participate in decision-making and policy formation ensures their voices are heard and valued.
In order to bridge the gender gap, we propose approaching the gender gap in three major sectors; politics, education and digital space.
Practical Implementations for Bridging the gender gap in Nigeria
The Nigerian government should integrate gender-sensitive curricula and teaching materials into primary and secondary education, considering the diverse needs and experiences of all genders to foster equality.Current primary and secondary school curricula in Nigeria are often biased, reinforcing gender stereotypes and unequal role.
For instance, textbooks commonly portray men as breadwinners and women as homemakers. To address this, the government should incorporate more women with success stories across primary, secondary, and tertiary education subjects, promoting a balanced view of gender roles.
In the realm of politics, women remain underrepresented globally, with only 28 out of 195 countries having female heads of state in 2022. Addressing this requires effective political education, especially in Nigeria, where patriarchal norms prevail. Empowering women through training in public speaking, networking, and goal-setting, led by successful politicians, can contribute to achieving greater political equality.
Organizing retreats for women within political parties to foster bonding, idea-sharing, and strategic coalition-building is also essential.
Implementing a quota system is another strategy to enhance the representation of women in political offices. The government may allocate a specific percentage of top-level governmental positions for women. As an illustration, both the president and state governors could guarantee that women make up a minimum of 30 percent of their appointed cabinet members, including ministers, commissioners, heads of agencies and parastatals, special advisers, and ambassadors.
With the world advancing towards technology, there is an urgent need to empower women in tech.
Currently, in Nigeria, women make up only 25% of the tech industry and only 5% of leadership positions in this industry are held by women. To address this, Government and other interested organizations including NGOs should encourage digital literacy and organize skill training in the digital space, tailored to enhance women confidence and participation in the digital realm.
Creating mentorship programs that connect women with experienced professionals in the tech industry allows for valuable guidance and support. Additionally, fostering a supportive and inclusive online community for women in tech can provide networking opportunities, collaboration, and a platform for sharing experiences and knowledge.
Recommendations
1. The Nigerian government should promptly reassess all existing gender-biased laws within our legal framework, showcasing a resolute commitment to eliminating gender inequality in the country.2. Discourage all forms of discriminatory practices hindering women's education in Nigeria. This can be accomplished by enlightening parents and stakeholders to assign equal value to both male and female children. Additionally, socio-cultural practices impeding equal access to education, such as early marriage, women's exclusion, and sex stereotyping in certain responsibilities or careers, must be actively discouraged.
3. The government should actively promote gender equality in education access in Nigeria by mandating the enrollment of a certain percentage of girl children in schools. This aligns with the Affirmative Action, which advocates for approximately 30 percent of women in elected political positions across African countries.
4. Recognizing the higher costs associated with training and supporting female students in schools, governments should provide additional financial support to parents for the upkeep of female students in tertiary institutions. Implementing allowances or stipends for female students would incentivize parents to prioritize the education of their daughters.
5. Non-governmental organizations and civil society should undertake women empowerment initiatives. Multi-life savers for the less privileged serves as a platform for amplifying women's voices, fostering community dialogue, and working towards creating an inclusive environment that recognizes and values the contributions of all genders. Our Secondary School is a mix of both genders. The organization encourages female participation and grants scholarship on merit basis taking cognizance of special needs of female students. students.
6. Executive positions in educational institutions, particularly at the leadership level, should not be exclusively held by males. For instance, At Unique and Fine International school we inculcate the value of leadership at the early stage. For leadership appointment, students are subjected to academic tests and successful students are given a chance to be elected by their peers. This reinforces our stance on gender equality and leadership on merit not mediocrity or gender bias.
7. Rather than remaining passive, women should develop negotiating and persuasive skills to meet the challenges of a competitive society actively.
8. Nigerian government, NGOs and Civil Society should increase financial support, granting women more loans for business startups. For instance, every year, Multi-life savers gives business grants to women interested in starting their own businesses.
9. Government should increase the proportion of political appointments allotted to women, aligning with global expectations of 35% affirmative action.
10. Encouraging women to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and careers can increase their representation in digital fields.
Conclusion
The journey to bridge the gender gap is both a moral obligation and a strategic imperative for a more equitable and prosperous world. It has been 40 years since the implementation of the Convention on all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979) yet, discrimination persists in various aspects of life, education and politics. Despite the emphasis on equal access to education for both males and females in Nigeria by the National Policy on Education and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there is a need for continuous efforts to address existing disparities.The urgency to address these issues is underscored by the sobering statistic that, at the current rate of change, the global gender gap will persist for another 100 years (UN 2020).
To address this issue, there is a need for continuous efforts, collaborative initiatives, and targeted interventions to bridge the gender gap.
It requires collective responsibility to create a world where women and girls are empowered, their voices are heard, and their contributions are valued, ultimately leading to a brighter and more inclusive future for all.
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