BY MARIE LOUISE ESSENGUE
Importance of women empowerment
According to the UN, the economic empowerment of women includes women’s ability to participate equally in the existing market. They have access to and control over productive resources, access to decent work, control over their own time, reduces the gap of inequality, and meaningful participation in economic decision-making at all levels.
When women are empowered and work it reduces poverty, boost productivity in all economic sector, ensure food security and even improve on the health of women.Unfortunately in Africa we still have a high rate of illiterate women/girls because of poverty, early marriage and early pregnancy, factors hindering their education . According to Quora women constitutes about 50% of the world population, a large number of them are unemployed, unskilled, and illiterate.
An educated woman
Educating a woman can not be overemphasized, as a political leader her decisions are towards peace, to zero corruption, take better decisions and firm in her decision making.
An educated woman will likely pay more attention to her children’s education and manners, will manage her home and finances better.
Because of her peaceful nature she will avert domestic violence in her home by all means and will know how to fight for her right.
An educated woman most likely will have less death rate at childbirth.
An educated woman is most likely to be gainfully employed, and an improved health
An educated woman will improve on the nutrition of her children.
Will have fewer children
A girl in school will most likely not be a victim of early pregnancy or early marriage.
Some causes of women illiteracy
Statistics of adults illiterate women in Nigeria in 2015, was 61.4% in 2015 up from 59.7% in 2008. At the annual education conference held in 2017, the minister of education Adamu Adamu through premium times said that there is a high level of illiteracy in Nigeria. That women account for nearly 60% of the country’s illiterate population, he said, therefore, to win the illiteracy war that Nigeria must focus intensely on girls and women education by doing an intensive and nationwide campaign against illiteracy.
More statistics of women illiteracy in Nigeria
5.5 million girls are out of school (UNESCO). Nearly two thirds of women in the Nord West and Nord East regions have no education compared to 15% in the South.
The dropped out rate is higher at the primary six levels among girls. Girls and women suffer educational exclusions across Nigeria. Nigeria out of school population is the largest in the world and it is growing, of the staggering 10.5 out of school today, the majority are girls. Girls in the rural of poorest families in the Nord West and Nord East states are among the most at risk of never attending school.
Early marriage factor
Early marriage is one of the causes of girl/woman illiteracy in Nigeria, it is believed that 73% of women were married before the age of 18 years, compared to 9% who had completed higher education. It is also estimated that in Nigeria between the ages of 15/19 years, had begun childbearing, and 5% of teenagers in rural areas also have begun childbearing, as opposed to 10% in the urban areas of Nigeria. In 2017, 23% of maternal death around the globe were from Nigeria. Is a very serious problem that must be tackled urgently.
According to an investigation conducted by Africa Research Review that empowerment of woman in Nigeria is most effective with NGO’S, that the government that was supposed to actively implement projects and programs are not committed because of the bureaucratic bottlenecks, and corruption, the reason why many women are still unskilled, poor and uneducated.
Late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo was reported to have said in a speech at the Africa news services, that though her husband the president is committed to improving the living standard of Nigerians, but he can’t be successful unless enough women are allowed to participate in governance. Many years after Beijing pact that was signed by all African countries, infant mortality, mother death at birth, fewer women in governance and illiteracy still abound.
Daily I see women toiling under the sun to make ends meet under very hard situation, several times I have helped women to fill a form even young girls, is so sad and annoying that many years after the Beijing convention many governments do not implement projects or appropriately use the funds, to improve on the livelihood of woman . I see young girls hawking Petti goods just to eat, so many are forced to prostitute, many, their rights are abused by their husband’s and those who take advantage of them. We all know that woman are always left with the responsibility and needs of children, and we can see what is going on around us because of high illiteracy and poverty, crime prostitution have multiplied including kidnapping and terrorism, many women can’t afford three square meals talkless of sending a child to school.
Poverty and a boy-child factor
Poverty is one major problem in educating a girl child, whenever a choice has to be made between a girl and a boy, a boy will be chosen, lots of emphasis still placed on a boy child till date. Statistics shown, by world poverty that nearly 50% of Nigerians, some 86.9 millions peoples are currently living in extreme poverty. It’s said that if you educate a boy, you have educated one person, but if you educate a girl you have educated a family and a nation, let every efforts be made to educate the girl child by all, to have a better society.
Some suggestions
According to UNICEF through education at the primary level is almost free, still, 10.5 children between ages 5-14 are out of school, and only 61% of 6-11 age old regularly attend primary school. In the Nord is even bleaker with a net attendance rate of 53% getting out of school. In the Nord 2.8 million, children’s are in need of education in emergency, in three states (Borno, Yobe,& Adamawa) because of conflicts. UNICEF came up with a program to support the government in achieving education for all in 2023, especially for the least likely to receive education, the expected outcome of the program aims at a safe learning environment, through improved planning and addressing all Barrie’s that hinders effective education.
Women should mentor women, those who can read and write to register/volunteer to teach women how to read and write on a one on one class teaching in the community.
Organize teaching in a very convenient place for the women, with a flexible program so that they can have time for their activities.
Promote education in the market places which they frequent constantly if possible start a simple program of writing and reading close to the market.
A community should be sensitized on the importance of educating a girl child,If possible enter into an agreement with the community leaders to arrange a flexible schedule of lessons that will allow the girl to help her family or husband. Together we must hold our government accountable, to implement projects in empowering women at all levels. Children in the community and going to school should teach their friends how to read and write while playing before their parents will register them in school.
All hand must be on deck to make sure that the girl child must be educated. Questions people in the community whose children are not in school, especially a girl child.
Those who go to the village to bring a girl to help them at home, must send those house helps to school. More suggestions are welcomed to reduce women illiteracy and poverty.
