GENDER INEQUALITY AND WOMEN’S POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT: A CASE STUDY OF AHOADA WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF RIVERS STATE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51699/mjssh.v1i4.136Keywords:
Gender Inequality, Female Political Empowerment and ParticipationAbstract
The marginalization and humiliation of women which was traceable to the pre-colonial period still persists in this contemporary epoch. This immensely has hampered the empowerment of women in politics of Ahoada East Local Government Area. This study investigates gender inequality and female political empowerment in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study adopts the feminist theory in its interpretation. Quantitative methods of sourcing data were adopted in this study. Thus, the sample size of 399 was determined from the population of all the women in Ahoada East Local Government Area. Simple random and accidental sampling techniques were used to select the 99 women from each of the randomly selected communities. The findings thereof portray that, denial of land inheritance; abuse, widowhood practice, physical attacks and difficulty in labour markets etc. were some of the nature of gender issues faced by the women. There were cultural, economic, educational, male gender preponderance and other factors that influence gender inequality and female political empowerment in the study area. The study recommends amongst others that the National gender policy should be signed to laws to provide a legal framework for gender mainstreaming in the national development plans and strategies as this would lead to the abolishment of discriminatory practices such as denial of land share to women, unequal access to education, and discrimination in decision making etc.
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