The Role of Women Co-Operative in the Development of Rural Communities in Nigeria
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
This research work was an intensive field-based examination of the contributions of Women cooperative society in rural development activities. All its objectives include:
- To find out the challenges facing the Women cooperative society in their bid to contribute to rural development.
- To find out how Women cooperative society contribute to rural development.
- To identify strategies for meaningful contribution of Women cooperative society to rural development.
- To find out the extent Women cooperative society generate their income for rural development
- To find out the objectives of the Women cooperative society.
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 rural development organization (WCDO), Women in rural development(WICD), Black Women cooperative’s organization (BCWO),Women-Led Rural 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 rural 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 rural development during the same period and his connection has clearly been a factor in attracting talented women to the field. Hundred of rural 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 rural development as construction of affordable housing and economic development Agency for International Development (1974). These organizations have always defined rural 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. Women build social capital through leadership, community participation, and network. There is a continuum of Women’s leadership styles ranging from an inclusive, collective, “feminist” model to a more traditional- hierarchical model. .As in previous gender specific research in other fields, women rural development leaders describe themselves as open, consultative and supportive of staff both in the community and within their organization they are committed to participation process, and internal democracy, many women reported a preference for consensus-building and this approach to seeking peaceful resolution of issue contributes to a participating styles of leadership.
Women also focused on social change as a goal. The desire to create social change is at the core of much of women’s rural development work. Women’s vision of change is broad aiming to change people’s lives, deepen their personal investment in their neighborhoods and increase their access in resource to improve the quality of life in the community. Kurubo (1993), many women measure organizational success in terms of the health of their communities and empowerment of residents in additional to more traditional, quantifiable measures. Women have created a pattern of activities designed to create an environment where changes can happen in communities. Not every women-led organization offers arrange of comprehensive services, but they are all characterized by their degree of awareness of the interconnection between personal, social and economic issues affecting community residents.
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 Women cooperative society in Mbaise local Government Area of Imo state.
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 Women cooperative society to rural 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 Women cooperative society. 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 Women cooperative society to contribute meaningfully to rural development.
Findings on income generations, shows that lunching/ceremonies is the major source of income for Women cooperative society. Finally finding on the test of hypothesis shows that there is a significant relationship between Women cooperative society and challenges facing them in rural development. Also, relationship existed between them and their contributions to rural development. Relationship also exist between them and their strategies for meaningful contributions to rural development.
A significant relationship exists between them and their perception of strategies for income generation in rural development. Also a significant relation exist between the Women cooperative society 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
Rural 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 Women cooperative society, government should provide them with financial aid, to make their efforts in rural 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 rural development.
- Women cooperative society should embark more on lunching, ceremonies, since according to the finding this is the major source of their income for rural development.
- The issue of poverty and family engagement should be address as they constitute major factors that constrain Women cooperative from contributing to rural development.
- Women cooperative society should endeavours to actively involve themselves in their rural development initiatives, since active involvement, leads to maximum
- Also, Women cooperative society should make their interest in rural development high. The finding recorded an average interest, but high interest is needed for meaningful
- Rural development workers with the government should make more meaningful policies in favour of the Women cooperative society to help them contribute to rural development.
- Women cooperative society should try and create more time for themselves so as to participate actively in rural development projects.
- We can say that social work is people Therefore, the government should recognized and encourage the recognition of social work as a major instrument of people and the national development.
- 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
Conclusion
In conclusion of this research work, the researcher wish to say that having completed the research on the contributions of Women cooperative society to rural development, it could be concluded that Women cooperative society are trying in their efforts to contribute meaningfully to rural 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 rural development demands that all hands must be on desk. Therefore, the contributions of Women cooperative society 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.
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