The Contributions of Women Organizations in Community Development in Nigeria; Case Study of Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State

The Contributions of Women Organizations in Community Development in Nigeria; Case Study of Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State

Chapter One

Objectives of the study

This research work was an intensive field-based examination of the contributions of Christian Women Groups in community development activities. All its objectives include:

To find out the challenges facing the Christian Women Groups in their bid to contribute to community development.
To find out how Christian Women Groups contribute to community development.
To identify strategies for meaningful contribution of Christian Women Groups to community
To find out the extent Christian Women Groups generate their income for community development
To find out the objectives of the Christian Women Groups

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Overview of Women Organization

According to Vnaku (1998), woman organization is an association of Women who have come together for their own interest and that of their community. Women organization can be found in different levels or areas across the world. It can be found in the villages, towns or at the state and national levels.

For example in Imo State, there are numerous existing Woman organizations as possible that contributed effectively in terms of development. According to the leader of Imo State organization in the olden days, any women that reach the age of 20-30 years, is initiated to form women organization. Women co-operative society was established in mbaise by Imo State women organization, to run a health centre. The aims of these groups are to transform their rural communities.

According to Okolo (1992), we have uncountable Women organization,both local, national and international based For example; we have Women community development organization (WCDO), Women in community development(WICD), Black Christian women’s organization (BCWO),Women-Led Community Development Organisations (WLCDO)),Catholic women organization (CWO),And many more. All these groups have common aim of contributing to the development of their communities through their numerous activities. Through the infrastructure, comprising regional support organizations, networks, women’s centers and local groups engage in a diverse range of valuable contribution to promoting equality, social and economic inclusion, peace-building and the development of their communities.

Women in community Development in Nigeria

For the past three decades,women have been major participants in community organisations Usman A.H. (1996). In the 1960s and 70s community Women advocated for control of local services and neighborhood preservation. In the 1980s, they were among the few forces pursuing neighborhood preservation in the face of uncontrolled downtown growth. Religious congregations, particularly those formed by women have been an integral part of community development during the same period and his connection has clearly been a factor in attracting talented women to the field. Hundred of community development organization began life in church basement while national councils and local congregation have supplied millions of dollars, staff, services and on-going support. This spiritual dimension is usually among current social reform initiative. The faith-based legacy, stressing a holistic view of community revitalizing, is compatible with the approach many women embrace. The willingness of faith based grass roots groups to accept women as leaders offers a valuable proving ground, and many women have gone to apply those lessons, and the resources of their organization to strengthen their communities.

For the past 20years, organization with strong Women’s leadership has resisted the narrow definition of community development as construction of affordable housing and economic development Agency for International Development (1974). These organizations have always defined community development issues as those responding directly to the needs of Women, children, and families, even in the absence of funding for such broader concerns. Foundation and governments have only recently began to recognize the wisdom of the approach. The current emphasis in public policy initiative and foundations funding on comprehensive community initiative (CCIS) affirms the long term commitment of many Women-Led organizations and the role Women play as catalysis for social changes.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter bothers on the entire processes the researchers has embarked on in gathering data for the research topic. These processes include:

Research Design

In the design of the study, the researcher used survey method according to Robin (1990:179) sample survey “have proved to be less costly, save time and is valid representation of the whole population.

Smith (1988:219), further explains that the survey research also examines effectively the sample about the population for which the sample is chosen.

Babbie (1975:259), recent Babbie is of the view that surveys are also excellent vehicles for the measurement of attitudes and orientation prevalent within a large population. It is probably the best method available to the social scientist interested in collecting original data for the purpose of describing a population too large to observe directly. Survey method is therefore found the most appropriate in the study of the Christian Women Groups in Mbaise local Government Area of Imo state.

Area of the Study

This study was carried out in Mbaise local Government Area of Imo state. It is located within logical 0.6^o 52^oE and latitude 07^o 24^oN, in Imo North Senatorial zone. Mbaise as a community in Mbaise local Government Area of Imo state, is made up of five major towns /communities namely: Agbaja, Ahiara, Ekwereagu, Ezinihitte, and Oke-ururu.

Study Population

The population of this research work is the entire members of Christians Women Groups in Mbaise. But 10% of this original proportion that made up our study population which is 12,000.

Meanwhile while the total population of Mbaise local Government Area is 309633. While the total number of male is 149,241, the women are 160,392. This figure is gotten from the 2006 National population census as seen is local Government Area of Mbaise at the population commission office.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

This chapter presents results, analysis and discussion of findings. The results were presented in frequency distribution and chi-square tables according to the research questions.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Summary of Findings

The researcher having completed the research work on the contributions of Christian women groups to community development, observed that out of the 130 questionnaires distributed to respondents, 120 were collected and analyzed with the aid of five research questions. The researcher made use of frequency distribution and chi-square tables in analyzing the data collected.

Summary of findings in the demographic variable on section A are as follows:

Women are the only sex used and those between the age brackets of 31-40. Constitute the majority that completed the questionnaires. Also, Christianity was the major religion. In marital status, those married were the major group. In educational qualification. Those holding OND have highest number while majority are traders in occupation.

In section B, of the questionnaire, summary of findings are as follows The researcher observed that financial problem constitute the major challenges facing the Christian women groups. Also, majority of Christian women prefer to contribute in building of town halls. While women empowerment and also equal educational opportunity serve as the major ways of encouraging the Christian women groups to contribute meaningfully to community development.

Findings on income generations, shows that lunching/ceremonies is the major source of income for Christian women groups. Finally finding on the test of hypothesis shows that there is a significant relationship between Christian women groups and challenges facing them in community development. Also, relationship existed between them and their contributions to community development. Relationship also exist between them and their strategies for meaningful contributions to community development.

A significant relationship exists between them and their perception of strategies for income generation in community development. Also a significant relation exist between the Christian women groups and their group objectives. In each of the analysis, the significant level is less than 0.5 resulting to significant relationship in each case.

Recommendations

Community development is an important aspect in the general development of the masses. It makes sure that general development programmers’ record high success, the following recommendations are made by the researcher based on the finding of this research work.

Since financial problem pose a challenge to the Christian women groups, government should provide them with financial aid, to make their efforts in community development a
Women, should be granted equal education opportunity with the opposite sex as well as be empowered, since these are the major ways they can be encouraged to contribute meaningfully to community development.
Christian women groups should embark more on lunching, ceremonies, since according to the finding this is the major source of their income for community
The issue of poverty and family engagement should be address as they constitute major factors that constrain Christian women from contributing to community
Christian women groups should endeavours to actively involve themselves in their community development initiatives, since active involvement, leads to maximum
Also, Christian women groups should make their interest in community development high. The finding recorded an average interest, but high interest is needed for meaningful
Community development workers with the government should make more meaningful policies in favour of the Christian women groups to help them contribute to community
Christian women groups should try and create more time for themselves so as to participate actively in community development
We can say that social work is people oriented. Therefore, the government should recognized and encourage the recognition of social work as a major instrument of people and the national
The training of social work should be given more support and the professional themselves must realize that their mandate of social reform involves change in the individual as well as change in the social environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion of this research work, the researcher wish to say that having completed the research on the contributions of Christian women groups to community development, it could be concluded that Christian women groups are trying in their efforts to contribute meaningfully to community development. But they could make their efforts to yield more dividends if the recommendations listed above are put into work.

Also, the fact remains that the issue of community development demands that all hands must be on desk. Therefore, the contributions of Christian women groups alone, will amount to little development, so, there is need for all those mentioned in the above recommendations to play their roles effectively if the contributions of the Christians women groups is to be maximized.

Suggestion for Further Studies

This research work,is by no means exhustive as further studies can be carried out on:

An entire state and not just a local government
The research can be replicated as the role of women organisations in the political sector.
The research can also be narrowed down to the role of a specific women organisation in communitydevelopment.

Implication and Opportunities for Social Work Practice in the Study

The researcher foresees some implications and opportunities for social work practice in the contribution of Christian women groups to community. (Ekpo and Mamah, 1997) defined social work as a process that operates to assist individuals (as groups or as individuals and as members of group) in increasing their control over their own lives through making satisfying choices, coping satisfactory with the result of their choices and life events, and working to provide the societal changes that were made available to individuals and groups, the social resources and support necessary for the selection of making meaningful choices. And other six areas of social work practice are social case work, social group work, community development, research, policy analysis and administration.

This being the case, the social workers can assist the Christian women groups in their contributions to community development by influencing the policies in the area of community development programmes that favours the Christian women groups. More than any other groups in the country, voluntary association and town unions expand a major portion of their efforts to achieve “good life” through interactions with agencies of the government. Elekwa (1995). Social workers act as link between the grass root and the government. Their experience in mobilization, facilitating and interacting with the Christian women groups, places them in a better position to identify and deal with the problem of the Christian women groups, like: how to raise money for their projects, better ways of tackling their most felt needs like gender inequality, educational inequality, etc.

Social workers can also organize seminar of family planning, methods in community development process, HIV/AIDS as worry of families etc. for Christian women groups in Mbaise to help them have four sights and know better ways of handling their problems. Social workers can also help them to choose better option in tackling their problems by working with them and not for them.

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