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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The vast majority of women who cannot read and write are concentrated in Asia and Africa (UNDP, 2000). The main issues is that many women living in semi-literate cultures do not feel any social pressure to acquire literacy and numeracy skills unlike in industrialized countries where the social pressure is strong. In most rural areas, girls are mostly not sent to school or they drop out earlier perhaps as a result of socio-cultural issues and this automatically increases the level of illiteracy. Generally, the poor are mostly illiterates or relatively of low educational status, they also have low income (UNESCO, 2002). Illiteracy and poverty cause and reinforce each other. To eradicate (or reduce to the lowest level) poverty, literacy education should be employed and girls and women should be encouraged and motivated to take the advantage. Women constitute the majority of todays’ 900 million illiterates in the world; and are therefore poor. Malnutrition, poor health, low life expectancy, sub-standard housing, chronic unemployment, seasonal or under-employment, low wages in informal sector employment, break-up of family resulting from migration to urban areas characterize the lives of women (UNESCO, 1998; Stromquist, 2005).

The female illiteracy situation in Nigeria as in most developing countries, assume an endemic proportion with at least half of the female population being illiterate and suffering under gender specific inequalities which are continually reinforced by unequal access to education. The Nigerian Demographic and Household Survey (DHS (2004)); showed that 31% of men have never been to school and that 27% of male adults age 15-59 years cannot read. In spite of this illiteracy rate among males, females’ illiteracy is still higher than that of males. The Nigeria DHS reported that 52% of women age 15-49 cannot read or write.

Women’s biological role as mothers reinforces their subordination within the patriarchal order. High fertility rates are still prevalent in most poor countries and set strict limits to women’s sense of who they are and the survival strategies they can adopt. Frequent pregnancies, abortions and births combined with infants’ dependence on their mothers for nourishment (breast feeding, which may continue for years), seem to succeed in effectively tying women to the domestic sphere.

The prevalent gender division of role and labour, especially in the third world countries like Nigeria, further serves to promote gender discrimination. The traditional sex division of roles in the family and the society excludes most girls from going to school. Various forms of patriarchal and economic oppression subordinate women, according to the history and culture of each country and region. Lack of access to school accounts for most adult illiteracy (Obanya, 2003; Indabawa, 2004). Socio-cultural factors that stem from patriarchal norms impinge strongly on the lives of women, and these make women’s status remain very low. Although, most Nigerian women are active outside the home, particularly in agriculture and in income generating activities in the informal sector; they are yet to compete on equal basis with men in the labour market because a good number of them are perhaps illiterates. Adekanye (2004), referring to the survey conducted by the agency for International Development in seven developing countries which included Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho and Nigeria showed that women, rather than men, are mostly responsible for the health, nutrition and education of their family. Females are the ones that perform the main tasks that keep the home going.

They are capable of stimulating changes in behavior that would lead to marked savings in food, water and energy consumption hence, their education is very important so as to enhance their role and active participation in environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources (UN Habitat, 2003). Given some literacy education along with skills, their burdens will be lessened and they will get out of backwardness. Most Nigeria females are confronted by cultural, religious and traditional barriers and these prevent them from full participation in literacy programme which is a catalyst to development. Many of them being illiterates, further prevents their full participation in social, economic and political lives of the nation. Osita-Oleribe (2007), observed that the girl-child education which is the panacea for poverty and family disorganization as well as societal true development has suffered several setbacks over the years. These are due to socio-cultural and economic factors, as girls contribute the largest population of illiterate children worldwide. These illiterate girls will grow up to become illiterate women. However, the study tends examine the effect of women education on the level of illiteracy in Ogoni land.

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