Womens Economic Rights> NIGERIA AT THE FIRST NIGERIA INTERNET INTERACTIV

[jjowa@xxxxxxxxxxx]

It gives me great pleasure to present this paper which I hope will 
generate active 
participation from you.
"Men control most of the major institutions of our society from 
churches to 
political parties to corporations, governments and mass media? men 
therefore have 
material privileges to defend" - Robert Connell, University of Sydney, 
Australia.

The Bejing Declaration and  Platform For Action 1995 set as goals 
gender equality, 
development and peace and constituted an agenda for the empowerment of 
women.  The 
full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all 
women is 
essential for the empowerment of women.  
What are economic rights?  The UN International Covenant on economic, 
social and 
cultural Rights 1976 states:
Art 1- Recognizes all peoples rights to self-determination so they can 
freely 
determine their  political status and freely pursue their economic 
social and 
cultural development 

Art 3 - Covenants to ensure the equal right of men and women to the 
enjoyment of 
all economic, social and cultural rights.

Art 6 - Recognizes the right to work which includes the right of 
everyone to  the 
opportunity to earn his living by work which he freely chooses or 
accepts.  States 
should ensure steady economic, social and cultural development through 
technical 
and vocational guidance and training programmes and policies.  They 
should also 
ensure the economic freedom of the individual.
Art 7 - Recognises the rights of every one to the enjoyment of just and 
favourable 
conditions of work which ensure in particular remuneration which 
provides all 
workers with 
i)      Fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal value - equal 
pay for 
equal work.
ii)     A decent living for themselves and their families
iii)    Safe and healthy working conditions
iv)     Equal opportunity for promotion.
v)      Rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours and 
periodic 
holidays with pay.
Art 8 - recognizes the right of  people to form trade unions and join 
trade unions 
of their choice.
Art 13 - Recognizes the right of everyone to education, for the full 
development of 
the human personality and its sense of dignity and shall strengthen 
respect for 
human rights and fundamental freedom.

Art 2a - States that primary education shall be compulsory and 
available free to 
all 
b) - Secondary education shall be made generally available and 
accessible to all.
c) - Higher education shall also be accessible to all on the basis of 
capacity.
c       
d            What is the situation in Nigeria?
    The Statistics are not encouraging.  With an estimated population 
of 120 
Million we have  a growth rate of 3.05% birth rate of 42.89 birth to 
1,000 
population, high infant mortality rate of 72.4 deaths to 1,000 live 
births  and a 
life expectancy of 53.06 years for men and 55.65 years  for women.  40% 
of the 
population are core poor while 70% of Nigerians live without basic 
amenities such 
as potable water, electricity, primary health care, education and good 
communication network.  Though women make up 49% of the population 
according to the 
1991 census they have remained in the bottom 30% of the poorest 
citizens.
59% of Secondary school leavers are unemployed while for post secondary 
education 
5.7%.  Ministry of Women Affairs reports that over 40% of the 
population presently 
lack any visible means of livelihood.  Figures from the National Man 
Power Board 
states that the unemployment figures for graduates alone was about 5.7 
million in 
2000 and may increase to 10 million by 2002.
It is not because women are less industrious.  Women have remained poor 
because of 
inequalities - lack of access to education, jobs, land, credit or 
information.  
Customs and traditions have continued to oppress and marginalize women 
in Nigeria 
while  lack of education has  relegated women to unskilled and labour 
intensive 
work.  In the rural areas women constitute the workforce in agriculture 
and are 
solely responsible for the cultivation of vegetables, cassava and 
perennial 
fruits.  In addition they also engage in trading on market days and 
weaving, dyeing 
and pottery making. Women as individuals have duties and 
responsibilities to other 
individuals  and to the community which they belong.  An analysis of 
statistics 
released by the Federal Office of Statistics (FOS)  reveals that in 
1995 the  
percentage of male headed household was 84% and female 16%.
                                                             
In 1993 Household expenditure by item reveals that 

        URBAN   SEMI URBAN        RURAL
Food    66.76%     59.91            56.47
Goods and other services         22.5%      19.56            19.40

As you can see the main pre-occupation of heads of household in Nigeria 
is food for 
survival and there is no culture of savings.
The mean household expenditure  reveals that in the female headed 
household the 
women spend more on food 48.91% compared to 37.7% on food by men.  
Remember the 
male headed households are also subsidized by their wives because the 
total 
expenditure of food is 66.76% in urban and 56.47% in rural.  There is 
therefore a 
heavy burden on Nigerian women to use their meagre resources to feed 
their families

Poverty incidence in Nigeria

           Extreme Poor Moderate Poor
Urban          17.008          25.888
Rural          16.435          33.582


Reveals  that we have more extreme poor in the Urban areas and moderate 
poor in the 
rural areas.



Poverty incidence by head of household 

        Male Headed HH  Female Headed HH
Extreme poor    16.465  17.441
Moderate poor   32.484  27.090


Incidence of women in poverty is higher because women  are also 
included in poor 
families headed by men.  Poverty indeed has a feminine face in Nigeria!
Women's work constitute most of the unskilled labour due to their lack 
of 
education.  They perform mostly domestic work, farm labour and trading.  
Women are 
exposed to health risks, poor working conditions, risk of trafficking, 
economic and 
sexual exploitation and other forms of abuse which impair their 
enjoyment of their 
human rights.
Full participation of women in the economy is very essential in 
achieving the goals 
of Gender equality, Development and Peace of the Beijing Platform for 
Action. The 
worsening economic situation has continued to place a disproportionate 
burden on 
women through budget cuts in basic social services including education 
and health. 
 
An FOS Survey of Manufacturing industries which covered 3,212 
establishments 
reveals that:

        TOTAL NUMBER OF WORKERS  NO. OF FEMALES        
Total workers            27,746            3,854
Working proprietors and partners                       457                      
  
75
Unpaid workers                473                     118
Managerial profession and technical workers                 2,796
                       257
Clerical and related workers               4,768                      704
Operative labour and service workers              16,288                    
2,482

The survey reveals that industry is almost exclusively owned by men and 
the bulk of 
the women in industry are labourers and service workers.  The trend is 
similar in 
the Civil Service, Education and Health sectors.
There is need for all women and women NGO's to advocate for the 
economic 
empowerment of Nigerian women.  Men have material privileges to defend 
and will not 
let go unless we fight for our rights.
A country's national policy is the most important factor in fighting 
poverty.  The 
Federal Government has to take a lead by integrating in  their national 
planning a 
gender perspective into its policies and programmes in co-operation 
with the 
organised private sector, the Civil society and the NGOs.  The Federal 
Government 
must create an enabling environment for development which can only be 
achieved 
through committed and strategic planning. Women should participate in 
national 
planning and development by a bottom up approach from the grass roots 
rather than a 
top down approach where the policy planner sits down in his 
air-conditioned office 
in Abuja and plans for the suffering masses.  People are always able to 
articulate 
their needs when they are asked. 
        Our leadership in particular must show commitment to gender 
mainstreaming 
in all facets of national planning to ensure economic growth and 
sustainable human 
development.  There is a need for gender analysis of all public budgets 
at all 
levels from the Federal, State to Local Government levels and in the 
organised 
private sector to determine  the differential impact of expenditure in 
women and 
men to ensure equitable use of existing resources.  In National 
planning, women as 
well as men's needs, interests, concerns, experiences and priorities 
should be an 
integral part of the design and implementation of the National Budget.  
My research 
conducted in the Federal Office of Statistics records, show that there 
is no gender 
analysis of the labour force and the data were supplied by the 
following ministries 
and corporations - Federal Ministry of Mines and Power and Steel, The 
Nigerian Coal 
Corporation, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Federal Civil Service 
Commission, 
Federal Ministry of Employment and Productivity.
        A Percentage Distribution of the population employed by industry 
reveals 
that in the private sector Nigerian women only show an appreciable 
presence in 
Agriculture (Subsistence farming, which is mostly done by rural women) 
and trading.
        Agric   Mining  Manufacturing   Utility Construction    Trade   
Transport
F       18.81   0.03         1.56        0.02         0.1       19.13       0.01
M       46.71   0.012        2.73        0.42         0.56        9.40      3.39

                

             Finance           Service
Female          0.12               4.30
Male            0.42             13.63
        
Without gender equality and equity, national development will be 
stunted and 
lopsided.  A World Bank report reveals that countries with smaller 
gender gaps have 
less poverty and faster growth.  Countries that promote women's rights 
and increase 
their access to resources have  faster economic growth and less 
corruption, than  
countries that do not.
        Education is one of the most valuable means of achieving gender 
equality 
and the empowerment of women.  In Nigeria there is a gender imbalance 
which has to 
be addressed by Government policies and programmes.  
        A students' enrolment survey in Polytechnics in Nigeria reveals that 
there 
is gender stereotyping in certain professions and careers.
                   HND
        (Higher National Diploma)                       Male            Female
        Accountancy                                     4338            2076
        Soil and Water Engineering                          41                1
        Architecture                                      320               39
        Chemical Engineering                              143               29
        Catering and Hotel Management               81            254
        Computer Studies                                  130               63
        Electronic Engineering                    329               22
        Fashion Designing                                   12              17
        Graphic Arts                                        74                7
        Printing                                          124               38
        Bilingual Secretary                                  -              14
        Secretarial Administration                        628           1366
        Physics                                     25                2
        Textile Technology                                  88              28
        Laundering Technology                     205               26
        Wood and Paper Technology                             7               2

        There should be a sustained focus on the education of the girl child 
and 
capacity building of women to achieve  economic empowerment of Nigerian 
women.  The 
Federal Government's policy of Universal Basic Education (UBE)  for 
free and 
compulsory primary education if fully implemented is a step in the 
right 
direction.  Lack of education aggregates women's inequalities at 
economic, social 
and political levels.  Gender based occupational stereotyping should be 
avoided by 
career guidance counselling which should be integrated in the post 
primary school 
system. There must be an attitudinal change on the notion that 
professions like 
catering, secretarial studies, nursing,  teaching and trading are for 
females 
alone.  Affirmative action will ensure increased participation of women 
in the 
labour. market.  Nigeria has achieved equal pay for men and women for 
equal work in 
the Civil Service, and also maternity leave of three months for 
mothers.  There is 
however a need to focus on discriminatory and abusive behaviour in the 
work place.  
Women should be sensitized on their human and economic rights.  The 
case of First 
Bank Nigeria Plc and its policy on married couples is still fresh in 
our minds.  
First Bank Plc, one of the richest and oldest Banks in Nigeria recently 
directed 
that it would no longer tolerate married couples in their employment.  
It took the 
combined resistance of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and women NGOs 
for the 
Bank to reverse that discriminatory policy.  Women NGOs were of the 
general opinion 
that the wives would be the most affected, because due to the high 
unemployment 
rates, the husbands would invariably urge their wives to resign 
instead.
What are the requisites to promote women's economic rights on women?  
There is a 
need for a national policy on women and for programmes to enhance the 
employability 
of Nigerian women. Ensure their access to quality jobs through  formal 
and non 
formal vocational training, life long learning, long distance education 
especially 
in  information and communication technology and the development of 
entrepreneurial 
skills.  There is a need for land reform so that women will have access 
to and 
control of land. Need for greater access to credit, economic resources, 
property 
rights, rights to inheritance, skill acquisition for self reliance and 
wealth 
creation should be encouraged.  The organised private sector should be 
sensitized 
on gender issues. The Federal and State Ministries of Women Affairs 
should play a 
more proactive role in addressing gender bias and discrimination in 
recruitment, 
working conditions, unequal career opportunities and sexual harassment 
at the work 
place.
        I will not fail to mention the knowledge revolution.  Nigerian women 
should 
not be left out in the information technology revolution.  The 
acquisition, 
transmission and application of knowledge has been transformed by the 
speed of 
communication.  The information technology, telecommunications and 
network growth, 
provide instant connectivity at any time and to any place, with the 
result that 
there is now a scientific information revolution.  This presents 
important 
challenges especially in the field of development where knowledge, 
experience and 
best practices can now be shared and exchanged worldwide.
        Lack of basic infrastructure militates against industrial growth.  
Government must provide the enabling environment.  Good infrastructure 
on their own 
will create employment, improve industrial growth, promote tourism and 
attract the 
much sought after foreign investments. The National Association of 
Small Scale 
Industrialist NASS has argued that SMES are capable of reducing the 
country's rate 
of unemployment among the youths by 80-90% with the establishment of 
SMES in rural 
areas. The MAN (Manufacturers Association of Nigeria) confirmed that 
the capacity 
utilization of the nation's industries fell from 31.91% in June 1999 to 
29% in 
2000.  MAN confirmed that they are laying off its workers even as many 
more are 
closing their factories, thus increasing unemployment and reinforcing 
the vicious 
cycle of poverty.
        
Actions to be taken at this seminar: 
The International Finance Corporation an arm of the World Bank has 
released a new 
strategy with a number of significant changes in  emphasis, notably an 
increased 
focus on social and environmental issues.  It admits that its attention 
to such 
matters is the result of pressure from NGOs, shareholders, Civil 
society and local 
communities which have begun to insist that their concerns must be 
respected. NGOs 
are agents of development and change because of their outreach, 
flexibility and 
ability to respond quickly and directly to development or humanitarian 
needs 
without bureaucracy.

        This conference should take it upon themselves to sensitize our policy 
making bodies, our national institutions -  the Presidency, the 
National Assembly, 
the National Planning Commission, line Ministries, the State and Local 
Governments 
on the importance of gender equality and equity.  We should immediately 
network and 
form a lobby group.
        The National Assembly has recently approved N6 Billion ($47 Million) 
for 
NAPEP - National Poverty Eradication Programme.  We must demand that at 
least N3 
Billion should go for women empowerment programmes.
        Recently Nigerian Export Promotion Council released a statement that 
statistics from WTO World Trade Organisation in Geneva show that 
Nigeria's non oil 
export increased from:
        $11,164 Million in 1997 to
        $6,869  Million in 1998 to
        $21,331 Million in 1999 to
        $15,103 Billion in first half of 2000.
We should visit NEPC and demand a gender analysis of the statistics to 
find out how 
many women exporters  we have, and how many have benefitted from their 
programmes.   We should also insist on creating opportunities and 
incentives for 
women in order to bridge this gap. The NDE (National Directorate of 
Employment) 
revealed that it is to train 62,000 unemployed graduates.  This 
conference must 
demand that 31,000 female unemployed graduates be trained.
        I am quite convinced that unless we as women fight for our economic 
rights 
and demand it from the men they will not let go of the huge resources 
they have 
been monopolizing for centuries  in Nigeria.

Thank you.
MRS. NOGI  IMOUKHUEDE