DO WOMEN DOMESTIC ROLES CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO FAMILY SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? EVIDENCE FROM NSIT IBOM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The fact that women in most families and communities are still being subjected to several forms of violence and their opinions often taken as a second option despite their domestic chores has instigated the desire to investigate if their roles have positive contribution to family socio-economic development. The study was carried out in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. Four variables namely, occupation, amount of earned income, level of education and women rights were focused in the study. Emphasis was based on the assumptions of the community participatory development theory. A randomly selected 250 respondents were used in the study. They were selected using the multi stage sampling technique while data were collected with the use of questionnaire. The study data were tested using the chi-square statistics. The results showed that even though the women in the study society were still being discriminated, they play significant roles in the socio-economic development of the study area. In view of this and findings of the study it was recommended that government should adequate laws and enforced same appropriately to protect the women from violence, torture and unnecessary cultures practices since their roles even at the family level could contribute to national development.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the Study

Every family is a function of different actors, man, woman and children, and a number of factors. These factors include income, level of education, residential location, type of occupation and rights of women. In all parts of the world, these variables or factors influence to a large extent the status of families and that of the members. The feeding pattern, type of health facilities and healthcare services desired, and the quality of environment preferred are determined based on the status of the family.

In recent times, government of countries and the World Health Organization (WHO, 2005) have been concern about the socio-economic conditions of families. Particular emphasis is made to the developing countries of the world where there is high rate of poverty, unemployment, poor sanitation, poor nutrition and environmental degradation. In the developing countries, for example those in the African continent, where most families have been devastated by poverty, hence necessitating the deployment of effort of every member of the family towards improving the family’s fortune. Most exposed to the challenge and task of sustaining the family’s economic are the parent. But in the most traditional parts of these societies, the women’s are focused on often than men. The reason is that the women play’s a somewhat crucial role in family (household) resource management, most especially ensuring that food is always available.  However, in situations of insufficiency, which most often is the case, the women is left to device supplementary strategies to helped her husband takes care of the family or be sanctioned. This practice that continued to rear its ugly head in NsitIbom Local Government Area becomes a serious issue of concern, instigated the desire to find out if the women roles have positive contributions to the family socio-economic development in the study area.

1. Statement of the Problem

NsitIbom Local Government Area is an example of rural area where women massively undertake their chores as required culturally, at least to meet the needs of family members, yet,  there is problem of providing adequately important needs such as nutritious and balance feeding, education, healthcare services, sanitation for the protection of women’s rights. Most families find it difficult to send their children to school but for the introduction of the free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary schools by the state government. Generally, the rate of poverty in this area is about 35.90 percent as over 75.62 percent of the population is poor (MOED, 2005). The picture pointed by this revelation is that most families in the rural areas of NsitIbom Local Government Area experience low socio-economic statuses despite the fact that the women in particular in this area are economically active and self-reliant. The women carry out different economic chores that vary from petty trading, farming, weaving, mat making, and clayproduction, hair dressing and designing, while some also work in either public, civil or private service establishment. Still some women in this area make reasonable income through investment in cooperative business and Osusu.

The filtering effects of the family’s poor conditions border not only the men but women who father and mother their respective family. The effects also constitute serious challenge to the area and government. This is because the persistence of the difficult conditions families could force some members into community some vices that will threaten the security, peace and other of the area. Consequent upon this, the government is stressed to provide infrastructures and facilities that could help better the living conditions of families in NsitIbom Local Government Area. In view of this, this study is aimed at investigating if the women domestic roles have positive contribution to family socio-economic development in NsitIbom Local Government Area, AkwaIbom State.