Human Rights of Women

REGARDLESS of their educational qualifications,Nigerian women not only occupy fewer positions in the public sector, but earn consistently less income than their male counterparts.

For instance, women occupy fewer than 30 percent of all posts in the public sector and only 17 percent of senior positions. In addition, nearly five times as many judges and permanent secretaries are men rather than women.

While income equality in the formal sector has grown over the years, only one in every three employees in the privileged non-agricultural formal sector is a woman.

Worse still, only 15 percent of Nigeria's 80.2 million women operate bank accounts and a woman is three times less likely than a man to recieve a bank loan.

*When assessed in 10 shematic areas of development, Nigerian women and girls have significantly worse life chances than men and other women and girls in comparable societies.

There are 54 million women who live and work in rural areas and even though women constitute 60-79 percent of the rural workforce, a woman is five times less likely to own land than a man.

And despite being better educated than their male peers in the micro-enterprise sector, women are less likely to secure loans and three times less likely to be employed.

These and other outcomes are part of key findings of a brand new report entitled Gender in Nigeria Report 2012, which shows that Nigerian women and girls have significantly worse life chances than men and other women and girls in comparable societies.

Put together by the British Council, Nigeria, The Report, scheduled for launch in Abuja on Thursday, May 10, 2012, showcases how Nigerian women and girls are disadvantaged by gender disparities in the most important aspects of livelihood and wellbeing.

It identifies Nigerian women as the nation's hidden resource, stressing that "Investing in women and girls now will increase productivity in this generation and will promote sustainable growth, peace and better health for the next generation."

In a statement, Project Manager, British Council, Mr. Roy Chikwem, the Report is research that highlights realities of women in Nigeria and makes recommendations on policies that can improve their lives. "It is a statistically robust, but accessible, user friendly document to be produced for dissemination among influential actors, augmented by media and communications effort that will give life and mass circulation to key messages," he noted.

Classifying Nigeria to be among the 30 most unequal countries in the world with respect to income distribution with the poorest half of the population holding just 10 percent of the national income, the Report warns that except the challenge of rising income inequality between Nigerian men and women is adequately and urgently addressed, significant rural-urban differences in income distribution would continue to impact negatively on women.

Different geopolitical zones

Other findings of the Report which draws on testimonies by real girls and women from the different geo-political zones of the Federation, is that Nigeria ranks 118 out of 134 countries in the Gender Equity Index, and that Nigerian girls who enroll in school, leave earlier that their male counterparts.

Recognising that only 9 percent of those who stood for election in Nigeria's April 2011 National Assembly elections were women, (of 360 House of Representatives members, only 25 are women), the Report said it was below the global average and well behind South Africa and Rwanda.

"The lack of women in decision-making positions may be one explanation for Nigeria's low investment in sectors that are crucial to human development outcomes, such as health and education. Women are under represented in all political decision-making bodies and their representation has not increased since the inception of democratic rule," it observed.

Observing that girls and women have the potential to transform Nigeria, the Report argues that investing in girls today will improve productivity and growth and also lead to a more peaceful, healthy and skilled work force tomorrow.

Looking at livelihood and productivity obstacles for women, the Report describes economic independence as an essential dimension of women's empowerment and improving a woman's access to and control over resources increases investment in human capital which in turn improves children's health, nutrition, education and future growth. Noting that business has overtaken subsistence farming and formal employment as the main source of income, the Report states: "Women compose the majority of informal sector workers.

Though many women are involved in subsistence agriculture and off farm activities, men are five times more likely than women to own land. Women own 4 percent of land in the North-East, and just over 10 percent in the South-East and South-South. Land ownership and land tenure give women security and provide a key to access other resources and opportunities.

The Report says: "Operationalising the Nigeria Land Administration Act could help expand women's productivity and that women with dependants pay more tax than men, who are automatically defined as bread winners.

If Nigeria is to invest more in human development and address growing inequalities, it needs a progressive and fair tax system." The report recommends a review and amendment of the taxation system to be more equitable to women-headed households in accordance with government's commitment to gender equity.

Among its recommendations are promotion of women's livelihood, keeping girls in school, and improving women's health and reducing maternal mortality. Others are making politicians more accountable to women and tackling gender violence and conflict.

In an assessment of pronounced regional gender disparities, the Report indicates worse Human Development outcomes for girls and women in the North, where poverty levels are sometimes twice as high as parts of the South (72 percent in the North-East compared with 26 percent in the South-East and a national average of 54 percent).

"The impact of inequality on the lives of girls and women is reflected starkly in health and education outcomes, nationally and between North and South. Levels of gender violence are also high, notably in the South where inequality is greatest."