CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the study

Women play a pivotal role in national development, however this has not been taken into cognizance in national planning and even to lower levels such as community development. Women are special set of people in the world as a whole. They have been involved in social voluntary activities in the community for many years. Through women’s organizations, they have helped communities to take care of their needs. Women work within the household as mothers, home keepers and outside such as in the farming economy in agriculture and childcare. Before the mid 1940’s, women in all parts of the world were victims of different kinds of traditions. They were victims of cultural bias that determine how they should behave and what they are suited to do. This perception has tended to reduce women’s participation in socio-economic and political development.

Almost everywhere women are asked to take their place in the kitchen, to become more informed mothers, more effective home managers, to satisfy the sexual passions of their husbands, rear babies and above all play the roles which are essentially complementary to those of men (Hibert,2004). However since the 60’s, 70’s began to influence women’s role or participation in community development. This awareness has been more since the 1975 women’s year programmes directed towards women have multiplied throughout the third world countries(Bernard and Hayer,2001). Hence women now want to take part in politics to have power and influence their status in decision making in society. To make their dreams a reality, women who see themselves as leaders in communities, have a fair share in decision making and politics.

However little is known about the quality and impact of such programmes and about the extent to which women are involved in decision making, the implementation of programmes and project execution and their management. In those days employment of women was not recognized because they were not absorbed into public or civil service (Akintola,2003). As stated in Adamu (2004), unemployment makes a woman to limit her participation in development activities. The recognition of the role of women have further given rise to the organization of women programmes in rural development in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. Such programmes include weaving, fashion designing, catering, etc. These programmes for women are designed to enable women in the local Government Area participate in the socio-political and economic development of their communities. It is important therefore to study how far women in rural communities like in Oredo Local Government have integrated into the system. It is also intended to find out the type of projects. The age distribution, the level of education, the factors that influence them to play those roles and the problems which they face in playing those roles and in such programmes and to find out whether the programmes on which they play such roles and to serve their needs and contribute to their advancement generally.

Above all, women’s dual responsibility to support the family, home and child rearing are significant barriers to participate in community development often withdraw from participating effectively in community development programmes, hence in recent times there has been the need for mobilization to renew women’s interest in community development participation. Mobilization of women gives them the assurance that the programme is meant to serve their needs, and interests. Mobilization before organizing any community development programme ensures that the programme best suits clients for whom it is meant especially for the disadvantaged group and women. Mobilization has always increased the number of participants in any adult education programme and community development is no exception. Hence the need to study the influence of mobilization on women’s participation in community development in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.