Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Education, Vol. VII, April, 2003.
GLOBALIZATION AND THE SOCIO- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGERIAN
WOMEN: CHALLENGES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION
BY
A.A. JEKAYINFA
Abstract
Globalization, according to the Population Reference Bureau (2000) has
encouraged women's participation in the market economy by creating new job
opportunities. This paper presents globalization and socio-economic development
of the Nigerian women. It highlights the several ways in which the concept
globalization can be used, how globalization has assisted women in holding
conferences where key issues affecting them were discussed and how Nigeria and
some other countries of the world have implemented some of the issues
discussed at the various global conferences and the effects of the
implementation on the socio-economic development of the Nigerian women. The
paper concludes by recommending the incorporation of global education Into the
soda/ studies curriculum so that students could have the knowledge of
international understanding to contribute to national development and show
empathetically understanding of Nigeria's peculiar problems and background.
Introduction
Globalization can be perceived in different forms, it can be taken to
mean the establishment of a global market for goods and capitals. In its
broadest sense, globalization refers to the existence or relationships between
the different regions of the world and the reciprocal influence that societies exert
upon one another. We can talk of global market or the world as a global village.
Globalization is not a new phenomenon; it has taken place previously in
history. The slave trade was an aspect of globalization and economic
interaction between countries of the world general trade is part of globalization.
Globalization can also be defined as the increasingly rapid flow of information,
goods and money around the world. It played a prominent role in people's lives
in the second half of the 2oth century.
Globalization has encouraged women's participation in the market
economy by creating new job opportunities. Demand for women’s labour has
expanded and women are currently over 40% of the global labour force (ILO,
2000). The World's Women (2000) for example, gave the statistics of working
age men and women in labour force in 1980 and 1997 in selected regions.
According to the statistics, in the sub-Saharan Africa, 41.72% of women were in
labour force in 1980, while in 1997, 41.9% of women were in the labour force.
Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Education, Vol. VII, April, 2003.
While women's economic activity rates have increased in many regions,
men's have increased. Yet, many women still lack access to pad employment
and financial resources. Lovely has a clear gender dimension. The Population
Reference Bureau (2000) claims that men comprise 90% of the world's 1.385
billion poor
A cereal component of globalization is the information and communication
technology 2T). One1 of the ways by which globalization is making positive
impact on women's life is through Information Communication Technology. The
ability of women to participate effectively '"'^al markets and enjoy some of the
benefits of trade liberalization is largely depended on . to new information
technology. It is through this information communication technology fat makes
many women throughout the world to get to know about many global conferences
on women affairs.
Some Global Conferences Attended by the Nigerian Women
The Beijing '95 World Conference brought together a wide spectrum of women
from all are the world. Women ’s issues were the focal point and pivot on
which deliberations at international Conferences on Population and
Development in Cairo and Egypt related the international Women's Year
Conference held in Mexico in 1975 adopted a world plan of action id Declaration
of Mexico on the Equality of Women and their contribution to development and
lace. Nwogugu (1994) declared that in order to address the problems
identified at the conference and by endeavoring to implement the various
resolutions and plan of action adopted the conference, the United Nations
declared the years 1975-1985 as the international Decade Women, the central
theme of the decade is Equality, Development and Peace. The United nation
Fund for Women (UNIFEM) was also established with the objective of assisting
women Income generating activities to support themselves and their families.
During the Decade for Women (1975-1985), the Convention on the Elimination
of All arms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was sacked by the UN
general assembly in December 19, 1979 and came into force as a treaty in
December 3, 1981. The Convention assisting of thirty articles, may be
regarded as an international bill of rights of women all over world and a
framework for women's participation in the development process (Nwogugu,
,4). This is the result of the several decades of work by the UN commission on
the status of women and various international Women's Organizations.
Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention requires the State parties to report
periodically to the UN CEDAW ('measures they have adopted to give effect to
the provision of the convention and on the stress made in this respect and
also, they are to indicate factors and difficulties militating list the fulfillment of
obligations under the convention.
A second global conference of the United Nations Decade for Women was
held Copenhagen, Denmark in 1980. The conference, apart from focusing on
the theme of decade, also focused on three sub-themes i.e. Employment,
Health and Education. Conference adopted the Programme of Action which
together with the earlier World plan action provided the framework for further
contribution towards the advancement of women.
Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Education, Vol. VII, April, 2003.
A third conference of the United Nations Decade for women was held in
Nairobi, Ker to review and appraise the achievements of the United Nations
Decade for Women and develop Forward Looking Strategies for overcoming the
remaining obstacles by the year 20 The Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for
the Advancement of Women were addressed governments, international and
regional organizations and also to non-government organizations and ft covers
a wide range of issues relating to the status of women.
The international Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1985 was the
stimulus women's active and somewhat aggressive participation at the population
conference in Cairo, a result of the conference; women began to organize around
themes of importance to them to lobby governments in their respective
countries for active attention to those issues (Awe, 1994). At this conference,
women national leaders such as Prime Minister Benazor Bhutto Pakistan, Gro
Harlem Bund land of Norway, First Ladies and many female government
top northern as heads of delegations were present. Women met at the global
forum and region groupings where African Women Caucus (AWC), a baby of
the Population Conference v formed. Female's voice gradually came alive all
over the world (Awe, 1994):
Another global meeting was the 1995 International Women's Day which
was held during the assembly of 'World's leaders held in Copenhagen,
Denmark. In a statement by permanent representative of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria to the United Nations, on Gender Perspectives aspect of the agenda,
which is "Enhancing the Participation of Women Social Progress and
development”, he expressed delight with the close association which the of
Copenhagen had had over the years with the International exertions to promote
the welfare women. It was ins same city of Copenhagen ...at the socialists
international decided in 1910 establish an international women's day as a
demonstration of its support for the promotion Women's right to work, to vote and
to be voted for.
The permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations exclaimed
that while global wealth of nations has increased sevenfold in the past 50 years,
the share of women in the wealth remains disproportionately low against
increasing demands on women as mothers a contributor to the production of
wealth (Gambari, 1995). In Nigeria, concrete steps have been taken to empower
women and to increase their access to national wealth and to higher quality of
life so as to contribute meaningfully to economic and social development of
the nation. In this connection, the "Better Life for Rural women dwellers
programme of the Babangida administration was launched in 1987
The
municipal objective according to Gambari (1995) was to improve the standard of
living in the rural areas through private mobilization of women for productive
Endeavour’s on a co-operative self-help business. According to him, the basic
strategy was to improve the productive capacities of women through communitybased and self-help organizations.
To achieve the objectives, the self-help organizations were supplied with
basic production and ancillary support services to help the members improve
their productive and marketing capacities. The Better Life Programme
recorded significant successes in enhancing lie awareness among rural
women of their capacities to create wealth through dent in rural productive
enterprises.
Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Education, Vol. VII, April, 2003.
Secondly, the Federal Government of Nigeria put in place a policy priority to
advance the cause of women in line with the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies by
the establishment and lengthening of nation’s machinery. As the first step,
National Commission for Women was established in 1989 with a mandate to
coordinate national efforts to advance the cause of the Nigeria women with the
national priority agenda scheme for development. Through the
establishment of the National Directorate of Employment, Gambari (1995)
opined that women i provided with skills, technical advice and financial
assistance to further empower them economically and socially.
Gambari (1995) stated further that the establishment of Community and Peoples
Banks I women to raise funds for productive enterprises on their own
recognition. These banks catered for the credit needs of both urban and rural
poor with no conventional collateral requirements. This government initiative
brought banking to the door steps of rural communities and benefits to women.
The Peoples Bank established schemes for health matters which improved
considerably literacy and health of women and children, particularly in rural areas.
The establishment of the National Commission for Mass Literacy is another effort
which has enhanced the training and education of women and the girl-child.
The "Women in agriculture” programme has also made it possible for
women to have access to extension education and productive resources for
improved food production. The Abacha administration also put in place some
programmes which enhanced the economic and social development of women
in Nigeria. One of such is the 'Family Support programme (FSP) which was
launched in 1994. The F.S.P. was meant to support the family in economic or
social development areas such as health care delivery, eradication of negative
socio-cultural forces against women and children, family income generation and
improved living standards, moral discipline and cohesion.
In recognition of the important role that women play in development and to
lay emphasis on the needs of women with a view to harnessing their enormous
potentials for development am social growth, the Federal Government of Nigeria
also created the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. All
these are some of the dividends of global conferences that Nigeria Attended and
participated for social and economic developments of women. Nigeria has taken
the enumerated steps in line with the objectives of the Copenhagen, Denmark
Summit o 1995 for the development and social growth of women.
Gambari (1995) stated that the main obstacles Nigeria was facing are
the negative impacts of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and
external debt burdens. He emphasized that the effects of the Structural
Adjustment Programmes on social services particular have created additional
burden for the already over-burdened women in most developing nations like
Nigeria. He stated further that the negative effects of SAP and the burden of
external debts continues to undermine the capacities of several countries
including Nigeria to implement what can further benefit women.
Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Education, Vol. VII, April, 2003.
Challenges to Social Studies Education
The incorporation of global education in to the Social Studies Curriculum
become imperative so as to teach students about issues and problems of the
inter-dependence nations, the emphasis on international relationships and
cooperation, peaceful co-existence o nations, knowledge and understanding of the
lives and ways of people of other nations, emergent issues and problems of
international import and international disputes and above all, problem; militating
against women ail over the world and how solutions are to be proffered to them
it various nations.
Mezieobi (1982) opines that students of social studies cannot effectively
live in their social milieu without some measures of understanding of others and
the world's people outside their own immediate geo-political content. Social
studies teachers should inculcate globs awareness in the students so that they
can be assisted by the knowledge of international understanding to contribute to
national development and show epithetical understanding o Nigeria's peculiar
problems and background.
Jarolimek (1990), suggested that global education in Social Studies
curriculum should be International linkages that are part of the everyday life of
most of us. Mesieobi (1994) was o the opinion that the teaching of global and
international education in Nigeria should neither be Nigeria-centric,
Europacentric or ethnocentric but that integrated approach and the cross-cultural
approach should be adopted.
Specifically, the social studies curriculum in the Nigerian secondary
schools should have a of fiat is operating in other developed and
developing countries of the world in the cling of the following.
1. Political Socialization: which will include democratic values such as
obedience to law,
freedom of opinion, liberty, justice, tolerance, pearly politics and
practice.
2. Value Orientation: encompassing equality, honesty, consideration
for others, respect
for individual rights and property, human dignity, truthfulness,
hard work, far play,
uprightness, faithfulness and tolerance.
3. Development of a rational approach to the utilization of resources.
Nigerian Journal of Social Studies Education, Vol. VII, April, 2003.
REFERENCES
Awe, B. (1994). "Women's Voice came alive". Daily Times October, 18.
Gambari, I.A. (1995). -"Enhancing the Participation of Women in Social
Progress and development". Dally Times, March 25.
International Labour Organization (ILO) (2000). "Decent work for
women”. An ILO proposal to accelerate implementation of the
Beinjing platform for action, Geneva
Jarolimek, J. (1990). Social Studies in Elementary Education: 8th ed.
New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Mezieobi, K.A. (1994). 'Contemporary Issues in Social Studies
Education' in School (Eds) Joof, G,W. and Amadi, H.C. Onitsha,
Otrite Publishers.
Nwankwo, N. (1994). "The road to Dakar', Daily Champion, Oct. 18.
Nwankwo, G. (1994). "Enhancing the Status of Women". (1) Daily Times, May,11.
The World's Women (2000). Key indicators of the labour market News
Bulletin.