Connect with us

Published

on

Systemic Gender Inequality Bane Of Poverty Among WomenZainab Marwa—-The founder of Aspire Women Forum, a non-governmental organization, Dr. Zainab Marwa has described systemic gender inequality as one of the major causes of poverty among women in Nigeria especially in North Central part of the country.

Dr. Zainab who stated this in her paper titled “The Intersectionality of Poverty and Gender in North Central Nigeria” presented as the guest lecturer at the 9th Distinguished Public Lecture of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi state, regretted that despite several intervention programmes, poverty still persists among women.

“Imagine a land where resources are plentiful, yet the hands that toil hardest remain the most deprived. In the heart of North Central Nigeria, this paradox is the daily reality for millions of women. While the region is celebrated for its rich cultural heritage and abundant resources, its women are caught in the relentless grip of poverty working tirelessly but rarely reaping the rewards of their labour. These women don’t just face economic hardship; they endure a web of systemic inequalities that restrict their progress, dim their potential, and amplify their struggles”, she bemoaned.

“According to the National Bureau of Statistics (2020), 70% of Nigerians below the poverty line are women. North Central Nigeria has a 57.3% poverty rate among women, versus 45.5% among men. Women face education barriers, with 59.3% literacy rate compared to 74.4% for men (UNDP, 2020). Only 21% of women engage in paid employment (ILO, 2020). These statistics represent restricted opportunities and lost potential”, she stated further.

While contextualizing the challenges that make it difficult for women to break the cycle of poverty, Dr. Zainab Marwa noted that “in predominantly Muslim areas, cultural norms may prioritise early marriage for girls, which can limit their educational opportunities.

A woman from a rural community may face significant barriers to owning land due to traditional inheritance laws that favour male relatives.

“In urban settings, women from low-income backgrounds may struggle to access quality healthcare. Intersectionality encourages us to consider how gender, along with factors like ethnicity, marital status, and location, affects a woman’s experience of poverty. For example, a widowed woman in a rural area faces different challenges than a married woman in a city, impacting their access to resources and risk of violence.”

She said intersectionality is a strong reminder that gender and poverty do not exist in isolation but rather intersect in ways that amplify women’s vulnerabilities.

According to her, “this intersection of challenges goes beyond the day-to-day struggles for survival. Women in North Central Nigeria experience the compounding effects of poverty in deeply gendered ways facing not only economic exclusion but also cultural marginalisation that diminishes their voices and overlooks their contributions.

Despite their efforts, women remain largely invisible in the economic and social fabric of their communities, perpetuating cycles of both poverty and disempowerment.

“Women in North Central Nigeria, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, confront simultaneous barriers to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Contextual factors, including cultural norms and patriarchal systems, perpetuate inequality. Addressing these issues necessitates a deep understanding of power dynamics, and recognizing the potential of women’s empowerment initiatives to effect change.”

To address these challenges, she said there must be urgent focus on actionable implementation of effective anti-poverty programmes that should adopt a multi-faceted approach to create lasting change.

This, she said must include: economic empowerment; vocational training and skills development programmes; community-based social protection initiatives; improved access to healthcare; education and awareness programmes; deployment of technology as a powerful tool for expanding financial inclusion and access to essential services.

“By implementing these interconnected strategies, we can create a supportive ecosystem that empowers women, enabling them to break free from the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities”, she added.

0Shares
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Sports

Manchester City Face Real Madrid In UCL KO Phase As PSG Get Brest (FULL DRAW LIST)

Published

on

Manchester City Face Real Madrid

Manchester City Face Real Madrid In UCL KO Phase As PSG Get Brest (FULL DRAW LIST)—-Manchester City failure to secure automatic qualification has set the English team against the defending champions Real Madrid in this season’s Champions League knockout play-offs while Paris Saint-Germain go up against French rivals Brest.

Following the first-ever Champions League’s league phase came to its conclusion at the end of 18 simultaneous matches on Wednesday night, the swollen 36-team table was finally complete. The sides that finished in the top eight automatically qualified for the round of 16 and so were not involved in Friday’s draw, leaving the 16 clubs between ninth and 24th to battle it out over two legs in February.

Each club already knew that it could only face one of two opponents in these play-offs based on there final position in the league phase table, but Thiago Alcantara was on hand at UEFA’s House of Football in Switzerland to decipher the precise ties.

Full 2024/25 Champions League knockout play-off draw
(Seeded teams are listed second)

Club Brugge vs Atalanta
Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund
Man City vs Real Madrid
Celtic vs Bayern Munich
Juventus vs PSV
Feyenoord vs Milan
Brest vs PSG
Monaco vs Benfica.

When are the Champions League knockout play-offs?

FC Internazionale Milano v FK Crvena Zvezda – UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2
The Champions League trophy will be up for grabs on 31 May / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages
The first legs of these maiden play-offs are scheduled to take place on either Tuesday 11 February or Wednesday 12 February. The reverse fixtures will be held one week later on 18/19 February.
In the same week that these fixtures are concluded, there will be a draw for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals on Friday 21 February. This particular bout of ball juggling will finally resolve the opponents for the eight teams that automatically qualified for the round of 16, including the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona and Arsenal.

0Shares
Continue Reading

Sports

JUST IN: Super Eagles Of Nigeria To Face Uganda, Tunisia, Tanzania In AFCON 2025 Group C

Published

on

Super Eagles Of Nigeria To Face Uganda

JUST IN: Super Eagles Of Nigeria To Face Uganda, Tunisia, Tanzania In AFCON 2025 Group C—-The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn in same Group with Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Thecloudngr reports that the draw ceremony took place at the Mohammed V National Theatre, Rabat on Monday night.

The Super Eagles were among the seeded teams at the draw.

Hosts Morocco are in Group A with Mali, Zambia and Comoros.

Nigeria finished second at the 2023 AFCON finals losing 2-1 to Cote d’Ivoire in the final.

The competition will run from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026.

0Shares
Continue Reading

Trending

0Shares