Rural women’ refers to women living in rural areas who tend to adopt traditional gender roles, have larger families, and often face challenges such as limited social support and lower participation in the labour force compared to urban women.
Rural women in Nigeria are the backbone of their families and communities. They rise before dawn, work tirelessly to make ends meet and also contribute greatly to the growth and sustainability of their communities.
According to Oxfam 2017, ‘Rural women work an average of 13 hours per day compared to 8 hours for rural men.’ Also, according to Action Aid 2018, ‘Rural women produce 60 to 80% of the food, despite having limited access to land, credit and other resources.’ In spite of these great contributions, women in the rural areas in Nigeria are faced with severe forms of social exclusions, economic deprivation, cultural suppression, lack of access to resources, lack of opportunities, inadequate health services, and limited access to education among many others.
These challenges promote marginalization and poverty. Women in rural southern Nigeria are primarily engaged in subsistence farming, growing crops like cassava yams and vegetables.( Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2018).
Being born and raised in Rivers State, I have seen women who are engaged in subsistence farming struggle and limited. They have limited or no formal education, they lack access to credit facilities and struggle to sell their farm produce. These challenges have birthed low sales and income, hence causing poverty and poor child upbringing which resultant effect are adult that poses danger to the society.
Also, consenting with the position of National Bureau of Statistics 2019 that says 42% of women in the south South region of Nigeria are entrepreneurs, women who engage in entrepreneurship lack the necessary business skills, empowerment and income generating activities they need for their business to thrive.
These women are unable to invest in their businesses, limiting their economic opportunities and making them dependent on others and vulnerable to poverty.
In conclusion, the plight of rural women in Nigeria is an issue that requires immediate intervention. To address or alleviate these challenges, governments, organizations, initiatives and even individuals must work hand in gloves to provide access to education, economic opportunities, entrepreneurial training and income generating activities for these women.
The empowerment of rural women in Nigeria is an economic necessity holding the key to unlocking the country’s full potential in achieving sustainable development.