1.0 Introduction
United Nations goals of sustainable growth, job creation, poverty reduction and equitable development cannot be achieve unless directly tackled at the rural level. Rural areas hold considerable potential for high return activities and production livelihoods. However they are often held back by scant investments and decent work deficits, particular, high under and unemployment among youth and women, wide spread child labour, informality and poor working conditions, limited social and labour law coverage and weak organization among employers and workers. Umuada women association helped poor rural women and men, to gain for themselves, and their children more of what they want and need. It involves helping the poorest among those who seek a livelihood in the rural areas to demand and control more of the benefits of rural development.
1.1 Background of the Study
According to Wikipedia (2007), rural women constitute one-fourth of the world's population. They are leaders, producers, entrepreneurs and service providers, and their contributions are vital to the well being of families, communities and economies, and the achievement of the millennium development goals. Women create a specific group of people; the group include small scale farmers, tenants and the landless. Women are at the heart of rural development as they control most of the non monetary economy (subsistence, agriculture, bearing children, domestic labour etc) and play an important role in the monetary economy, trading, wage labour, employment, etc. everywhere in the world, women work both around the home and outside the home. The most topical issue in international developmental programme is women.
The women as a person is an agent of reproduction of life itself. This places her in the position of the life blood of the entire humanity. She is the first teacher, the sustainer and maintainer of the home.
The peace maker, the symbol of beauty and major molder of the character of the child. She is a mother of the human race. As mothers and wives, women do exert considerable impact on the productivity of male workers. As workers in their own rights, they can conveniently be linked to the rejected stone in the Bible which has become the cornerstone of the house. By their sheer psychological, physiological and intellectual make up, they do perform more than mere complimentary roles in rural transformation and production process.
Most of these contributions by women had not been recognized until recently when the united nations declared the Decade for women (1976 — 1985) making it mandatory on governments to focus on issue of women as an integral component of rural and national development. Women's role in rural development cannot be over emphasized.
Their immense contributions to both rural and national development can be seen in the areas of agriculture, infrastructural development, education, healthcare etc. they are able to achieved these through various women organizations and co-operative societies.
The purpose of the paper therefore is to highlight the role of women particularly the Nigerian women in rural development. Rural women account for a great proportion of the agricultural lobour force, produce the majority of food grown, especially in subsistence farming, rural areas. Agricultural provides a livelihood for 86 percent of rural women and men and employment for about 1.3 billion small holder farmers and landless workers, 43 percent are women. Yet, their rights and contributions have been largely overlooked. If rural women had equal access to productive resources, agricultural yields could reduce the number of chronically angry people by between 100 and 150 million.
In 1979, the united nations general assembly adopted the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women consequently, subsequent conferences on women were held in Copenhagen, Denmark 1980, Nairobi in Kenya 1985 and Benying in china 1995 however, an international news magazines Africa today reported in July 1995 that the full implementations of the various conferences on women issue had still not been achieved and enthusiasm was warring (Amah, 1995).
Women's voices are now being heard clamoring for an improvement in their socio-economic status and for the recognition of their immense contributions to rural development.
Rural development is one of the major problems facing Umuowa people in Imo state. Reported in most media and personal investigation tend to suggested that women should be encouraged to participate in rural transformation. The means that rural transformation is the priority of every rural part in the society. Therefore, rural development is a progressive improvement of the economic, political and cultural conditions of communities through the combined effort of government and the people of the communities.
In Nigeria today, the roles of women are very important; basically, they are the mother of all respective homes. And they play one of the major roles in educating of children in the family. That is why ORLU local government and the towns that makes it up are trying to make bids that will give women a sustainable appreciation and acknowledgement in that area, which will make these women, plays a crucial role on enlightenment campaigns on government policies and forms a core of the mobilization. This in turn will facilitate physical participation in local development project within the communities at large.
The pre-colonial history of Umuada association of Umuowa in ORLU Local Government have it that, before the coming of the British, rural development in ORLU local government was at low points because women were cast out of major event that is happening in that geographical area. Until the coming of the colonial masters in 1861 during the process of colonization, some privilege was given to Umuada women association to participate in social having received some power and authority through the teaching of colonial masters, they now participate in their own ways for betterment of the society. From then, these women have embarked on numerous project to make development Unuowa, like building of town hall, civil centers, health centers, and markets. Upon all this efforts, most of these women's work remains invisible unremunerated and unrecognized. In addition to these, most women in Nigeria still do not know their role in community or rural development. They still entrust all the development work to their male counterpart. It was on this background that the research work was carried out.
1.2 Statement of Problems
The study has come to address the following problems;
Over the years women have been neglected or relegated to the background in issue of the overall development especially in the developing community like Umuowa autonomous community in ORLU Local Government.
1. Why are the women in Umuowa excluded in the community development planning in Umuowa autonomous community?
2. Is the discrimination against Umuowa women by men development oriented?
3. Why are the women left out in the issue of decision making? Are the veritable tools for the transformation of Umuowa autonomous?
4. Does lack of government encouragement affect participation of Umuada women association in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community?
5. What are the various problems facing Umuada women association that account for their non participation in rural transformation in Umuowa autonomous community?
6. Did the lack of women contribution affected development programme in Umuowa autonomous community?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study include;
- To examine the roles of Umuada women association in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community.
- To ascertain if women are the veritable tools for rural transformation in Umuowa autonomous community.
- To know if gender discrimination has a negative impact on rural development in Umuowa autonomous community.
- To investigate if lack of government encouragement affect participation of Umuada women association in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community.
- To look at the various problem that facing Umuada women association participation in rural transformation in Umuowa autonomous community.
1.4 Research Question
In the course of this research, some questions were raised to actively ascertain the roles of women in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community. Below are some of the questions.
- What are the roles of Umuada women association in rural development in Umuowa autonomous community?
- Does gender discrimination have a negative impact on rural development of Umuowa autonomous community?
- Are the women of Umuowa autonomous community instrument of development of Umuowa autonomous community?
- Does lack of government encouragement affect participation of Umuada women's association in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community?
- What are the various problems that facing Umuada women association, participation in rural transformation in Umuowa autonomous community?
- What are the solutions to the problems?
1.5 Statement of Hypothesis
Oxford advance learner's dictionary (1995:58) defines hypothesis as idea or suggestion that is based on knowing facts and used as a basis for reasoning or further investigation. The following hypothesis shall be adopted for the purpose of validation of this research work.
Ho: Women do not play vital role in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community.
H1: Women play vital role in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community.
Ho: Gender discrimination does not have a negative impact on women participation in rural development of Umuowa autonomous community.
H1: Gender discrimination has a negative impact on women participation in rural development in Umuowa autonomous community.
1.6 Significance of the Study
1 there is no doubt that costs have been written on women and rural development in Nigeria. This study serves as a stepping stone to government in realization of the place of women in community development.
2 Development of the communities is a brain child of joint effort by men and women in the society. In view of the above this study is aimed at contributing to knowledge as well as assisting in revealing the extent of women involvement in rural development in the country.
3 This study, no doubt comes at the right time, especially under the present democratic dispensation that every community is clamoring for government at all levels, women will be better positioned to gain insight into the various ways they should help develop the rural areas.
4. It will unfold various problems facing women in rural development.
5. This study will add to the existing literature on the subject matter.
6. It will be of help to those who want to carry further research on the subject matter or similar topic.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study focuses on women and rural development in Imo state with a particular reference to Umuada women association of Umuowa autonomous community in Orlu local government.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
During the course of this research, a lot of factor militated against the processes of this work.
The time frame to carry out a research of this nature was very short. This made as not so cover the entire case study area.
Finance is another major problem encountered by the researcher. Lack of enough money to runs the research expense hamper the uniqueness of the research.
Some of the interviewee did not open up to enable the interviewer get the most current and valid information because they fear to being mention to avoid suspicious.
Combining class work or academic workload with research of this type limit the study too.
1.9 Definition of Terms
For easy understanding, some of the time used in this work are being breakdown in order for a layman to understand.
Woman:
An adult female human belong to a specified occupation, group, nationality or other category.
Rural:
This is an area that still in a state of nature, it is an area without or has no artificial things or essential amenities.
Development:
Development entails change that is continuously taking place in man and his physical, social, cultural, economic and other environment.
Local Government:
This means the government at the grass root level exercised through elected representatives to perform specific function Awa (1980).
Community:
This is a place or environments were citizen reside, communicate and live happily in order to promote their human welfare.
Policy:
This is a board guideline used by organization in translating strategies into activities. Policy is aimed at mapping out programmes or actions that needs to be pursued in order to accomplish the goals of the enterprise.
Community Development:
United Nations Organization (1955) define community development as a process by which effect of the people themselves are united with those of the government authorities to improve the economy, social, political and cultural conditions of communities into the life of a nation and to enable them contribute fully to national progress. Local Administration:
Local administration is a bureaucratic progress aimed at the provision of local services it involved the delegation to power to an administrative authority to execute policies and bye laws, Lucy Nworji (2004).
Objective:
It is defined expected result to be achieved in the future. It is futuristric because it states the predetermined result.
Community Government Council:
This is the fourth tier of government created by Imo state's government to assist in community development.
Gender Discrimination:
This is refers denying rights or privileges to a person based on their gender.
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