An Assessment of the Impact of Women’s Education on Poverty Reduction in Navrongo, Ghana
Chapter One
Objective Of Study
The following are objective of this study:
- To role of women’s education on women’s empowerment.
- To examine the relationship between women’s education and poverty reduction in Navrongo
- To examine if educational levels attained can lead to access to employment in Navrongo
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Girls-child Education in Northern Nigeria
Most rural communities in northern Nigeria view girl-child education as a waste of resources and a gateway to immorality. This belief, according to Hussain (1992), dictates the role of women as mothers and house wives that militates against their educational progress and economic prosperity. Some of these societies believe that, the best place for females is home where they have to cook, nurture children, and look after the elderly and other family members (Mahuta, 2007). This may be reason for Konna (2010) to recommend a national policy related to rural education for girls and women, because it is key to poverty eradication, gender equality and national development. According to Aseey (2010), there is a serious need in Kenya to give priority to rural girl’s education in order to assist the country to achieve its Vision 2020. There are many common barriers for the education of girls in many African countries, which include poverty that leading to early marriage and pregnancy at a young age. Other barriers include gender favoritism, girl-child unfriendly facilities as well as a lack of female teacher counsellors. These are almost similar in all African countries. Therefore, to improve this situation, there should be alternative efforts toward girls’ education empowerment for rural girls and women to creatively earn and attend their standard of living.
Gender Issue and Education in Rural Areas
With the 19 northern states of Nigeria, where most of them having combination of issues related to gender, that constraining the rural young women and girls from having access to educational services and assets. Zumilah (2010) suggested rural microenterprises as a vital tool in process of reducing rural poverty, especially when it involves women. This is because women do vital contribution toward the household’s sustainability. Although the societal conservative views on gender roles remain natural and unchangeable phenomenon, particularly in rural settings However, Katsina State is chosen for this study because of it is being the first area in which Western education was introduced in the whole of the north of Nigeria. Paradoxically, the NBS reports from 2012 show the incidence of poverty in Katsina State as severe at 74.5%. The surprising parts was that, the poorer families are located in the rural areas, and comprise more women and children (Haruna &Saifullahi, 2012). The majority of the people of Katsina (78.7%) are in the rural areas. In the rural areas of Katsina, there is a unique gender issue that has become very persistent and unresolved for a long period of time (Kabir, 2012). This includes the issue of the preference for sons over daughters (Abdullahi,2014) and considering girls as property transferred from the fathers to the husband’s house. These make considering her education as less valuable and less important to the development of the society. Feminine poverty in rural areas is affecting many young women morally (Zumilah, 2010).
Girl Education Empowerment Program (GEEP)
Katsina State government in collaboration with other development partners such as UNICEF has considered this situation and aims to empower rural girls and young women through education. The girls’ empowerment program through education may offer a series of opportunities, such as the acquisition of knowledge and skills, improvement in social status, information resources, and economic resources among others (Girls Education Empowerment Program [GEEP], 2011). In Katsina State, this effort further considers empowering rural young women and girls through education as poverty eradication strategy which aim at improving access of rural girls to tertiary education. This is because before this program, getting access to participate in education program was a serious challenge for rural girls and young women. However, GEEP assisted many girls from rural areas of Katsina state to attend tertiary level of education to acquire the National Certificate in Education (NCE) as the minimum primary teaching qualification in Nigeria. The GEEP offers new hope for rural girls and young women in Katsina State to acquire knowledge and skills. The girls that are empowered can also empower their family members to increase their economic wellbeing. The main aim of the GEEP is empowering rural girls’ through participation in education program and at the end of the program the government would employ all the trained girls and young women as female schoolteachers in their villages. Therefore, the educated girls are assumed to be an important social agent to increase awareness of the rural families concerning the importance of education (especially for girls) in order to combat poverty. The educationally empowered young women and girls may increase the economic wellbeing of their households as well as their society at large (Sultana, 2006). The GEEP is improving the provision of female teachers in the rural schools. As the process of empowering girls through education sustained, in the long run, the rural poor would be educated, and be able to manage their own economic problems (Akpan, 2012).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine an assessment of the impact of women’s education on poverty reduction in Navrongo, Ghana . Selected primary schools in Uyo form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain an assessment of the impact of women’s education on poverty reduction. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing an impact of women’s education on poverty reduction
Summary
This study was on an assessment of the impact of women’s education on poverty reduction. Three objectives were raised which included: To role of women’s education on women’s empowerment, to examine the relationship between women’s education and poverty reduction in Navrongo and to examine if educational levels attained can lead to access to employment in Navrongo. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected Navrongo. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the traditions of the society should not override the fact that women’s education is a backbone for societal development. This is because the mother is the first teacher for every person in this world. Thus, by educating girls is a preparing for educated mothers who produce and develop of high-quality manpower in human capital development. This also was in line with the saying “Educating a girl is educating the family and educating the family is educating the society”. For the young females who were able to further their education to tertiary level, they have potential for sustainable development via employment. Such a success in the reducing women poverty through education in Navrongo may be a motivating factor for other governments, NGOs and other development agencies to redesign the policies in the fight against poverty. Since the GEEP was targeted at girls, therefore, the program may benefit females more than males. Furthermore, the empowerment theory by Batliwala (1995), states that empowered individuals and communities improve the intellectual and social levels, which, in long run lead to increase in economic wellbeing and life satisfaction. Indeed, psychological reimbursements do elevates the level of literacy and high level of literacy may lead to improvement in sustainable development
Recommendation
Educating the community for sustainable economic development, both men and women should be considered equally. In this way, education can assist members of the rural community, particularly women, to combat poverty
References
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