THE IMPACT OF WOMEN’S EDUCATION ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ABSTRACT

The role of women in national development of any nation cannot be over emphasized. Thus, this is an attempt to re-emphasize and re-awaken the mind of humanity on the undisputable importance of women education as a vehicle for sustainable national development in Nigeria.

          The main purpose of this study was to find out the extent to which women’s education can facilitate national development through the contributions of the educated women in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. In carrying out the study, two hundred subjects were selected by stratified sampling from five locations I n the local government area. The instrument  used for the study was validated twenty-five item questionnaire designed to test the five hypotheses formulated based on the research questions raised for the study.

The data generated were mainly analysed using chi-square techniques and the findings show that:

1. 1.        There were certain traditional practices and religious beliefs in the area which tend to militate against the education of women on an equal basis with men.
2. 2.        Most educated women in the area are actively involved in the development processes of their respective communities. Indeed their level of contribution to female education was discovered to be higher that than uneducated counterparts.
3. 3.         The educated women enjoy higher social status in the area. They are at the forefront of women related programmes and dominate other community related activities because of the advantages derivable from education.

              On the basis of these findings, it is evident that women’s education is useful to national development and growth. Consequently, it was recommended that all barriers to women’s education should be urgently discarded and that government should as a matter of deliberate policy fund and establishes more literacy centers in order to increase the number of women benefitting from educational programmes. The research also made suggestions for further studie