Women and Poverty in Nigeria: Agenda for Poverty Eradication

Abstract

Women constitute a vital social group in all known human societies. Apart from playing a very significant role in the continuity of society through reproduction and socialization, their economic, social and political roles cannot be overemphasized. Yet, this vital group has been mitigated with very harrowing challenges in their various respective societies. In Nigeria where the level and rate of poverty have skyrocketed over the years, women continue to face daunting and debilitating challenges. In fact, despite every efforts made by the Nigerian authorities and other none-formal organizations towards poverty reduction in the country, this problem has continued to mitigate women from living happily and contributing their own quota to national growth and development. This negative trend calls for urgent concern. This paper utilized secondary data to study women and poverty in Nigeria. The objective of the paper is to analyze the condition of women under persistent poverty with the view of suggesting how the problem can be effectively dealt with in Nigeria. The paper argued that, although women contribute greatly in societal growth and development, they have continued to suffer unjustly in precarious condition of poverty due to their underprivileged class position in the society. It was suggested in conclusion that until the structural imbalances in the existing social system was corrected by means of poverty eradication agenda; women will not only continue to suffer from poverty but the future effects may be catastrophic to social order in the country.