Kingsley Asogu Ogbonnaya
| Okechukwu Ann E.*
© 2023 IIETA. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
OPEN ACCESS
The study focused on enhancing women’s participation in community development through community education for sustainable development. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population for the study was 828 respondents from south-East states of Nigeria. Researchers’ made questionnaire was the major instrument for the study. The research questions were analyzed using mean scores and standard deviation while the null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics. Based on the analyses, the following major findings was established: (i) encouraging more rural dwellers to participate in agricultural production to enhance their income, providing employment opportunities by creating jobs for rural dwellers among others were how community education enhances socio-economic potentials of women, (ii) enhancing literacy education for rural women, improving capacity building among women among others were the community education that enhanced literacy capacity of women, (iii) inadequate provision of funds by the government for the enhancement of community education and inadequate support from donor agencies for community education among others were the constraints militating against community education in enhancing women’s participation in community development. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made.
community development, community education, enhancement and sustainable development
In many parts of the world, women’s participation in community development has come to stay as one of the most important activities of government and society. Women, even with their feminine skills, form a very significant base of any national economy. Most research totally ignore and under-estimate any productive roles that women play in community development [1]. Even though some percentage of women engage in salaried employment like teaching, nursing, secretarial duties among others, a lot of them are involved in a wide variety of productive tasks. It is estimated that about 80% of the food for family consumption in Africa is produced by women [2]. The author went further to note that women provide 60-80 percent of the agricultural labour force carrying out activities like planting, transplanting, weeding, hoeing, applying fertilizers, harvesting, trashing, processing, storing, preserving and marketing of products. Women also participate in animal husbandry practice, especially in raising small ruminants and poultry processing and marketing of diary produce [1]. Apart from agriculturally based activities, women also engage in feminine skills such as sewing, knitting and weaving which can be used in textile industries or agro-business [2].
In South-East, Nigeria, women generally have contributed not only to the well-being of their families but also to the production and distribution of goods and services. Also, the researcher observed that women are even the force behind the construction of federal roads and village community/markets. Similarly, through social and religion associations like women-wings of town union meetings, women Associations and Christian Mothers’ Organizations, women also involve themselves in the building of small scale industries like oil mills, skill acquisition centres, hospitals/maternities, motherless babies’ homes, parsonages for priests and religion among others. Through this means, women participate as a group for community development. Even though women participate in some aspects in the community, their participation needs to be enhanced. Therefore it is a necessary action that must be accomplished.
In this study, it is worth mentioning that urban women are those residing in a locality with better amenities for better living conditions while rural women are those residing in an environment close to nature with lack or inadequate amenities to meet their basic needs as well as improve their livelihood.
Enhancement as a variable has been variously defined by experts. Enhancement means improvement of women in community development. It means deliberate attempts taken in the design of projects, plans among others to ensure positive outcome [3]. Enhancement means to intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value or extent of a designed projects or plans for a positive outcome [4, 5]. Enhancement means to increase, add to, intensify, magnify among others the well-being of a particular objective for better change. It means to improve the quality, amount, or strength of something [6]. The author went further to note that, to enhance something means to improve its value, quality, or attractiveness. This implies that the goal of enhancement is improvement. Enhancement in the context of this study therefore, is to intensify, increase or further improve the quality, value or extent of women’s participation in community development for sustainable development.
The practice of community development is as old as human existence because human beings had also tried to improve their living conditions in their various communities. As a discipline, the concept is relatively new. Community development was first mentioned internationally at the 1948 Cambridge Conference on African Administration organized by the British colonial office [7]. There, it was agreed that the compound work “community development” should be used in place of “mass education” and be defined as: a movement designed to promote better living for the whole community, with the active participation, and if possible, on the initiative of the community. But if this is not forthcoming spontaneously, techniques for arousing and stimulating it should be used in order to secure the community’s active and enthusiastic response to the movement.
Ever since this definition was given, the concept has several other definitions and has, therefore, been used in different contexts to mutually related development activities and situations. Oreh [8] defined community development as the process in the life of a community by which the people plan and act together for the satisfaction of their felt needs. Essentially, a movement for better living; it remains a weapon for social change. Its purpose is to bring about improvement in the conditions of the community. Communities strive to get various communities and political advancement of their communities. It is a social practice, a way of doing things and one which is concerned with motivating people to make positive change in their situations. It must have practical purpose and tangible outcomes [8]. In fact, the author went further to note that community development can be regarded as a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems for community wellbeing (economic, social, environmental and cultural).
There are however, specific purposes of community development as highlighted [9], they are aimed at; identifying major problems about which the members of the community have expressed genuine and deep concern, helping the people to develop the knowledge that should result in their ability to competently analyse the problems, helping the people to develop appropriate strategies for the realization of goals in development; and fostering in the people the ability to consider rightly the costs of action and how this could be weighed in terms of the disadvantages of reaction against the expected gains. These purposes suggest that the goals of community development rely mainly on human resources who are adult community members that constitute the pivot for community action. Community development in the context of this study therefore is a process whereby community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problem for community wellbeing.
As a result of the importance of community development in general and Nigerian women in particular have gone a long way in participating in community development activities such as construction of markets, building of small scale businesses, personage for priest among others. Women were merely regarded as property of men and thus, there was no attempt by women themselves to be productive for effective functioning in her group and community. Today women have become essential ingredient in almost every community development. On women development priority in Paris states that every community development practice, policy, plan or project would have impact when women are daily involved [10]. Interestingly, Nigeria women are beginning to assert their influence in all spheres of human endeavours, such as in economic, polities, agriculture and community development among others.
However, the idea of women’s participation as it applies to community development strongly advocates that success is assumed when the efforts of a local community is supplemented or aroused by the direction of government authorities [11]. This idea portrays community development as a cooperation or partnership in progress among community members. This stipulates that women should be actively involved in the execution, utilization and assessment of the social amenities or facilities designed to improve their welfare. It is such participation in community development that gives the women pride of ownership of the facilities when completed [12]. In Nigeria therefore, women can participate in various community development activities only if their participation are enhanced through community education. This will bring about marked improvement to what they have been contributing so far to see that their communities fair better in terms of community development.
Community education is historically a very old one. For better understanding, the two words will be discussed separately. In many parts of the world, education has come to stay as one of the most important activities of government and society. The levels of development reached by many nations usually have connections with the levels of their education system. The major purpose of education is the development of individual who would effectively participate in the process of national development [13, 14] adopted education as an instrument par excellence for promoting national development and social change. It is strong means for eradicating ignorance, superstition and disease among the people and ensuring quick development of economic, political, sociological and human resources [14]. Education is the bedrock of every nation’s development and it unlocks the door to modernization through optimal utilization of human and capital resources. It is a dynamic instrument for achieving any desired goal of the society.
Community education is a tool for the stimulation of community members to actively participate in social activities that would generate employment. The major purposes of community education is to develop and enhance socio-economic potential, literacy status and political potentials of individual [9]. These indices of community education will be looked into to see their outcome. Socio-economic potential has to do with the economic power of individuals. Socio-economic potential is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a person’s work experience and of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to others [10]. It is the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education income and occupation. In this study, socio-economic potential means the standing of women in the community.
Literacy status has to do with educated individuals. Literacy status is the total percent of population who can read and write [11]. The author noted that literacy status is the ability to read and write. This implies that literacy capacity is individuals’ ability to read and write. In this study, literacy status means the ability of women to read and write in the community.
Political potential of person is the class of power and political power an individual occupy. A study [12] went further to explain political potential as a social superior, that person will have power over you because you believe that person has a higher status than you do. In this present study therefore political status refers to women political power or class of power that enable her participate in community development.
The purpose of community education is to develop and enhance the capacity of individuals and groups of all ages (including women) through their actions, the capacity of the communities to improve their quality of life and enforce sustainable community developmen. Central to this is the ability to participate in democratic processes for sustainable community development [13].
Sustainable development is a process of meeting human development goals while sustaining the ability of natural systems. Sustainable development refers to development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet the own need [14]. The author further acknowledged that three national priorities have been developed for using community education to enhance women participate in community development for sustainability and they include: raising standards of achievement in learning for adults through community based lifelong learning opportunities involves incorporating the core skill of literacy, numeracy, communications, working with others, problem-solving and information Communications Technology (ICT); Engaging with women to facilitate their personal, social and educational development and enable them to gain a voice, influence and place in society; and, building community capacity and influence by enabling people to develop the confidence, understanding and skills required to influence decision making and service delivery.
Sustainable community development has always been the aim of every society. The concept of sustainable development was first mentioned in the United Nations General Assembly in 1987 [15]. Within the same year, an organ of the United Nation; the World Commission on Environment and development defined it as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future penetrations to meet their own needs [16]. The author went further to note that the concept of sustainable development is difficult to define because it is continually evolving. As societies change, human awareness of the earth, humanity and human environment interactions correspondingly change. This engenders regional shifts in focus and the conditions of local ecosystems and cultures are reflected in the different definitions of the concept. Most people in the world have intuitive senses of what are needed to be changed to have a sustainable future, but they may not provide a precise definition of the concept of sustainable developments.
In South-East Nigeria, women have continued to display unreasonable indifference in participating to include: raising standards [17]. In order to make babies, take care of their husbands, women have taken supportive roles in participating to community development and these have serious problems in sustaining development. However, the researchers are not aware of any study carried out in an attempt to find solution to this situation in South-East. Hence this study becomes necessary.
Nigeria women today have gone a long way within the field of education, politics, economic, science among others. Yet their heavy work and contributions in the community development agenda are seen by experts, policy makers and significantly others as a source of voluntary labourers for development activities. Thus, their invaluable socio-economic and political contributions go unrecognized. In community based projects, women have remained marginalized. In many occupations, like pervasive phenomenon of women going only so far and no further in their occupations and profession have come to be known as the glass ceiling. Worse still, many women have begun to make wrong assumptions believing that their major roles are to make babies and take care of their babies and husband. As such, they become highly prone to participating to community development for sustainable development.
Community education is a programme meant to promote learning and social development work with individuals and groups in their groups in their communities using a range of formal and informal methods. The researcher therefore was not aware of their promoting learning and social development work for sustainable development with women. Whether community education would promote learning and social development work with women for sustainable development needed to be empirically established. It is against this backdrop that the present study investigated the enhancing women’s participation in community development through community education for sustainable development in south-east states of Nigeria.
The main purpose of the study was to investigate enhancing women participation in community development through community education for sustainable development in South-East, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined the:
The following research questions posed will guide the study. They are as follows:
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and will be tested at 0.05 levels of significance:
Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhance socio-economic potential of women for participation in community development for sustainable development.
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhance literacy capacity of women for participation in community development for sustainable development.
Ho3: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the constraints to community education in enhancing women participation in community development for sustainable development.
This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A descriptive survey is the one in which a group of people or items is studied by systematically collecting and analyzing data from only a few people or item considered to be representative of the entire group [18]. Therefore, this design was deemed appropriate for this study as it aimed to collect and describe in a systematic manner data obtained from both urban and rural women in order to investigate Enhancing Women’s Participation in Community Development through Community Education for Sustainable Development in South East, Nigeria. Therefore, the survey research design was appropriate for this study.
This study was conducted in South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria. The choice was to enhance the participation of women in community development as it will go a long way to achieve sustainable development in the region.
The population for the study was 828 women comprising all the members of 182 registered women organizations in South East Nigeria. Available data showed that they are 828 registered members (Ministries of Women affairs, Abia State, Anambra State, Ebonyi State, Enugu State and Imo State, 2022).
The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire on Enhancing Women’s Participation in Community Development through Community Education Questionnaire (EWPCDCEQ) and oral interview. The questionnaire was organized based on Four-point rating scale. Section A sought to collect personal data of the respondents while section B was arranged in three clusters A, B, and C which represented the three research questions that guided the study. Cluster A has 9 Items on the extent which community education enhance socio-economic status of women for participation in community development for sustainable development, cluster B has 8 items, on the extent which community education enhance literacy status of women for participation in community development for sustainable development while cluster C has 6 items on the problems militating against community education in enhancing women participation in community development for sustainable development. The instrument is made up of 23 items.
To ensure the validity of the instrument, the initial draft of the questionnaire was subjected to face validation by giving the instrument to three experts. Two experts from Adult Education and Extramural Studies Department and one from (Measurement and Evaluation unit) Science Education department, all from the faculty of Education, University of Nigeria Nsukka. These experts were requested to study the items and assess the suitability of the language, adequacy and relevance of the items in addressing the research questions, bearing in mind the purpose of the study. Their corrections and comments were used to modify the questionnaire. The modification gave rise to the final draft which were produced.
The reliability of the instrument was determined by administering 20 copies of the instrument to women in Asaba, Delta state which is outside the main area of study but they have similar characteristics with the respondents. Cronbach Alpha was used to test the internal consistency of the questionnaire items. The reliability coefficient of 0.87, 0.84 and 0.87 were obtained for clusters A, B and C respectively with an overall reliability coefficient of 0.86.
The researchers administered the questionnaire with the help of five research assistants. The research assistants were briefed by the researcher on the modalities of administration and collection of the instrument. The researchers with their assistants met with the respondents during their yearly December meeting in their various communities. The choice of meeting them at this point is that both the urban and rural women come together at this time to deliberate on issues bothering them. The researchers therefore utilized the opportunity to meet with the respondents. The researchers and research assistants administered the questionnaire to the respondents and collected it back on the spot. The reason was to ensure a high return rate.
Mean scores and standard deviation were used to answer all the research questions. While the mean was interpreted using real numbers as follows:
3.50-4.00- Very High Extent/Strongly Agree
2.50-3.49- High Extent/Strongly Agree
1.50-2.49- Low Extent/ Disagree
0.50-1.49- Very low Extent/ Strongly Disagree
The t-test statistics was employed to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.
Research Question One
To what extent has community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development?
Result in Table 1 revealed that items 1-3 had their mean values ranged from 3.50-3.81. These values were within the real limit of 3.50-4.00; indicating that the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women for the items is to a very high extent. Meanwhile, items 4-9 had their mean values ranged from of 3.34-3.44 which were within the real limit of 2.50-3.49; indicating that the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women for the items is to a high extent. Generally, the 9 items had a cluster mean value of 3.46 which is within the real limit of 2.50-3.49 indicates that the extent to which the community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development is high. The standard deviation of the 9 items ranged from 0.50-0.72; indicating that the respondents were homogenous in their responses.
Table 1. Mean and standard deviation of respondents on the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development
|
S/N |
Item Statement |
Mean |
SD |
Remark |
|
1 |
Encouraging more rural dwellers to participate in agricultural production in order to make more income |
3.81 |
.50 |
VHE |
|
2 |
Community education provides employment opportunities by creating jobs for rural dwellers |
3.54 |
.59 |
VHE |
|
3 |
It has help in the building of more vocational training centres for skill acquisition for women |
3.50 |
.74 |
VHE |
|
4 |
Community education contributes in formation of co-operative societies for easy access to loans by the rural dwellers |
3.38 |
.73 |
HE |
|
5 |
Community education helped women in organizing entrepreneurial programme that will enhance their level of income |
3.44 |
.62 |
HE |
|
6 |
It reduces poverty and ignorance among women in the community |
3.36 |
.71 |
HE |
|
7 |
It upholds moral standards among women in the community |
3.36 |
.66 |
HE |
|
8 |
Community education provides employment opportunities by creating jobs for rural dwellers |
3.43 |
.74 |
HE |
|
9 |
Community education has encouraged rural women on how to engage in storage business in order to make more income |
3.34 |
.68 |
HE |
|
|
Cluster Mean |
3.46 |
.35 |
HE |
Research Question Two
To what extent has community education enhanced literacy status of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development?
Result in Table 2 revealed that item 10 had a mean value of 3.66 which was within the real limit of 3.50-4.00; indicating that the extent to which community education enhanced literacy status of women for the item is to a very high extent. However, items 11-17 had their mean values ranged from 3.25-3.48. These values were within the real limit of 2.50-3.49. This indicates that the extent to which the community education enhanced literacy status of women for the items is high. Notwithstanding, the cluster mean of 3.41 which is within the real limit of 2.50-3.49 indicates that the extent to which the community education enhanced literacy status of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development is to a high extent. The standard deviation of the 8 items ranged from 0.64-0.77; indicating that the respondents were homogenous in their responses.
Research Question Three
What are the problems militating against community education in enhancing women’s participation in community development?
Result in Table 3 revealed that items 27-32 had their mean values ranged from 3.31-3.68. These values were up to 2.50 mean bench mark for decision making. This implies that the respondents agreed that all the items were the problems militating against community education in enhancing women’s participation in community development. Result in Table 3 also revealed that the standard deviation of the 6 items ranged from 0.62-0.69; indicating that the respondents were homogenous in their responses.
Table 2. Mean and standard deviation of respondents on the extent to which community education enhanced literacy capacity of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development
|
S/N |
Item Statement |
Mean |
SD |
Remark |
|
10 |
Creating awareness on literacy education for rural women |
3.66 |
.64 |
VHE |
|
11 |
Effective participation of women in community development through community education improve their literacy capacity |
3.48 |
.66 |
HE |
|
12 |
Acquisition of literacy education through community education improves women’s capacity for community development |
3.46 |
.69 |
HE |
|
13 |
Community education brings about literacy building among women in the community |
3.32 |
.67 |
HE |
|
14 |
Community education has contributed in creating awareness on how to vote or to be voted for during elections among the women |
3.39 |
.72 |
HE |
|
15 |
Community education has contributed in building literacy capacity among women to eliminate rancor and disunity among women in south east Nigeria |
3.25 |
.77 |
HE |
|
16 |
Community education is the main source of literacy acquisition among rural women for community development |
3.35 |
.73 |
HE |
|
17 |
Community education has contributed in the promotion of the fundamental human rights of women on south east Nigeria |
3.39 |
.73 |
HE |
|
|
Cluster Mean |
3.41 |
.39 |
H |
Table 3. Mean and standard deviation of respondents on the problems militating against community education in enhancing women’s participation in community development
|
S/N |
Item Statement |
Mean |
SD |
Remark |
|
18 |
Lack of competent facilitators, change agent or educators in community education |
3.68 |
.68 |
Agree |
|
19 |
Inadequate provision of funds by the government for the enhancement of community education among women |
3.42 |
.62 |
Agree |
|
20 |
Inadequate support from donor agencies for community education of women for effective community development |
3.38 |
.74 |
Agree |
|
21 |
Inadequate sensitization of women for effective participation in community education |
3.31 |
.69 |
Agree |
|
22 |
Embezzlement of funds appropriate for the community education of women in the community |
3.42 |
.65 |
Agree |
|
23 |
Lack of proper monitoring of facilities and community education facilitators in community development |
3.38 |
.69 |
Agree |
Hypothesis One
There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development.
Table 4. An independent t-test analysis of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development
|
Location |
N |
Mean |
SD |
Df |
t-value |
P-value |
|
Urban |
456 |
3.47 |
.34 |
826 |
.977 |
.329 |
|
Rural Total |
372 828 |
3.45 |
.37 |
|
|
|
Result in Table 4 shows the t-test for independent samples assuming equal variance. The results from the test shows t (826) = .977, P > 0.05. Thus, the null hypothesis of no significant difference is accepted since the P-value (.329) is greater than 0.05 level of significant. The researcher therefore, concludes that, there was no significant difference in the ratings of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development.
Hypothesis Two
There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced literacy capacity of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development.
Result in Table 5 shows the t-test for independent samples assuming equal variance. The results from the test shows t (826) = 1.532, P = .126. Thus, the null hypothesis of no significant difference is accepted since the P-value of .126 is greater than 0.05 level of significant. The researcher therefore, concludes that, there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced literacy capacity of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development.
Table 5. An independent t-test analysis of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced literacy capacity of women in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development
|
Location |
N |
Mean |
SD |
Df |
t-value |
P-value |
|
Urban |
456 |
3.43 |
.38 |
826 |
1.532 |
.126 |
|
Rural Total |
372 828 |
3.39 |
.41 |
|
|
|
Hypothesis Three
There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the problems militating against community education in enhancing women’s participation in community development in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development.
Table 6. An independent t-test analysis of urban and rural women on the problems militating against community education in enhancing women’s participation in community development in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development
|
Location |
N |
Mean |
SD |
df |
t-value |
P-value |
|
Urban |
456 |
3.44 |
.37 |
826 |
.751 |
.453 |
|
Rural Total |
372 828 |
3.42 |
.38 |
|
|
|
Result in Table 6 shows the t-test for independent samples assuming equal variance. The results from the test shows t (826) = .751, P = .453. Thus, the null hypothesis of no significant difference is accepted since the P-value (.453) is greater than 0.05 level of significant. The researcher therefore, concludes that, there was no significant difference in the ratings of urban and rural women on the problems militating against community education in enhancing women’s participation in community development in South-East Nigeria for effective participation in community development.
The result of the study showed that women in south-east states, Nigeria agreed to high extent that community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women for participation in community development for sustainable development. Their agreement was based on the fact that, community education encourage more rural dwellers to participate in agricultural production in order to make more income, provide employment opportunities by creating jobs for rural dwellers, help in the building of more vocational training centers for skill acquisitions for women, contributing in formation of co-operative societies for easy access to loans by the rural dwellers, help women in organizing entrepreneurial programme that will enhance their level of income, reduce poverty and ignorance among women in the community, uphold moral standards among women in the community, and encourage rural women on how to engage in storage business in order to make more income. Agreeing to the above, the community education has contributed to economic, socio-cultural, political and religious empowerment of women for community development projects [19]. Furthermore, the community education increased the development of the community and nation in general [20]. These point to the fact that there is great possibility of community education to enhance women participation in community development for sustainable development.
Further analysis of the significant difference between the mean scores of urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women. The result revealed that at the associated probability for the calculated values of t, is greater than the level of significance, the null hypothesis was accepted. This implies that there is no significant difference between urban and rural women on the extent to which community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women. This finding suggests that community education is a tool for enhancing both urban and rural women in participating in CD for sustainable development.
The result of the study showed that women in south-east states, Nigeria agreed to high extent that community education enhanced socio-economic potentials of women for participation in community development for sustainable development. The respondents agreed to a high extent that community education improves women’s capacity for community development, it bring about literacy building, contributes in creating awareness, on how to vote or to be voted for, contribute in building literacy capacity to eliminate rancor and disunity, is the main source of literacy acquisition, and contribute in the promotion of the fundamental human rights of women in community development for sustainable development. Agreeing to the above,there is a positive significant relationship between adult education and women literacy [21]. Also, women through literacy education programmes had more access to loan and credit facilities for their economic activities thereby leading to higher income [22]. The study suggests that community education to a high extent enhanced women participation in community for sustainable development.
Further analysis of the significant difference between mean scores of urban and rural women on extent community education enhance literacy capacity of women for participation in community development for sustainable development. The result revealed that the five percent level of significant, that the calculated value of t for the significant difference between urban and rural women had a high associated five percent level of significance, the null hypothesis was therefore accepted. This implies that there is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the extent community development education enhance literacy capacity of women for participation in community development for sustainable development.
From analysis of data, the result showed that respondents agreed that there are problems militating against community education in enhancing women participation in community development for sustainable development. Their agreement was based on the fact that, there are lack of competent facilitators in community education, inadequate provision of funds by the government, inadequate support from donor agencies, inadequate sensitization of women, embezzlement of fund, appropriate for the community education, and lack of proper monitoring of facilities and community education facilitators in community development. Therefore, it was evidently clear that problems militate against community education in enhancing women participation in community development for sustainable development, supporting these facts, the marginalization is one of the problems that affect women’s participation in community development [23].
Further analysis of the significant difference in the ratings of urban and rural women on the problems militating against community education revealed that at five level of significance, the analysis showed that the calculated value of t for the significant difference in the ratings of urban and rural women on the problems militating against women in enhancing women’s participation in community development had a high associated probability value which is greater than the five percent level of significance, the null hypothesis was accepted. This implies that there is no significant difference in the mean ratings of urban and rural women on the problems militating against community education in enhancing women participation in community development for sustainable development.
The need to enhance women’s participation in community development cannot be overemphasized. The research emanated from the need to seek solution to problems associated with enhancing women’s participation in community development. Consequently, the study investigated enhancing women’s participation in community development through community education for sustainable development. The study revealed that community education enhanced to a high extent the socio-economic potentials of women, literacy capacity of women and political potentials of women. Therefore, community education should be regularly employed to enhance women’s participation in community development for sustainable development.
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made:
[1] Ayanniyi, R.B. (1999). Women education and cultural practices: Towards socio-economic development in Nigeria in the next millennium. Journal of Women in Colleges of Education, 3(1): 29-30.
[2] Ogunka, M.O. (2014). Changing status of Nigeria women: A dialectical framework. https://www.researchgate.net/.
[3] Harris, J. (2005). Enhancing Evolution: The Ethical Case for Making Better People. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
[4] Nagel, S.K. (2010). Too Much of a Good Thing? Enhancement and the Burden of Self-Determination. Oxford University Press.
[5] Hanachor, M.E., Olumati E.S (2012). Enhancing community development through community education. Journal of Education and Practice, 3(14): 59-63.
[6] Racine, A.N. (2015). Improving living standard for the majority of Solomon Island. https://www.worldbank.org.
[7] Anyanwu, C.N. (2002). Community education: The African dimension. Ibadan: Alafa Nigeria Company.
[8] Oreh, C.I. (2014). Igbo cultural widowhood practices: Reflections on inadvertent weapons of retrogression in community development: An inaugural lecture of university of Nigeria Nsukka.
[9] UNESCO. (2016). World Social Science Report: Challenging inequalities: Pathways to a just world. https://en.unesco.org/wssr2016.
[10] Ugwu, J.C. (2001). Adult education and community development. In Adult Education: Its Nature and Purpose. Nsukka: Prize publishers.
[11] Taylor, E.D. (2008). Transformative learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2008(119). https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.301
[12] FRN. (2013). National policy on education NERDC press. https://educatetolead.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/national-education-policy-2013.pdf.
[13] Leo, B.D. (2012). Development cooperation in the light of sustainable development and the SDGs: Preliminary exploration of the issues. UNDESA. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/761workingpaper3.pdf.
[14] Ojo, O.O. (2006). Human rights and sustainable democracy in Nigeria (1999-2003). Journal of Social Sciences, 13: 15-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2006 .11892526
[15] Mconnell, C. (2002). Community Learning and Development: The making of an Empowering Profession. Edinburgh: Community Learning Scotland/PAULO.
[16] Jeffs, T., Smith, M. (2005). Informal Education: Conversation, Democracy and Learning. England Nottingham: Educational heretics Press.
[17] Okon, J.J. (2011). Role of non-verbal communication in Education. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2(5): 35.
[18] Nworgu, B.G. (2015). Educational Researcher: Basic issues and methodology. Nsukka: University Trust Publishers.
[19] Nworie, C. (2018). Community Educations as a Tool for Women Empowerment in Nigeria. https://www.globalacademicgroup.com/journals/resourcefulness/Education%20as%20a%20Tool%20for%20Women%20Empowerment%20in%20Nigeria.pdf.
[20] Obiecheta, T.N. (2007). Education as a Strategy for Empowering Rural Women for Sustainable Development. Department of Adult Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
[21] Ololubei, N.P., Egbezor, D.E. (2012). A critical assessment of the role importance of non-formal education to human and national development in Nigeria: Fulture Trends. Education.
[22] Omobola, O.C. (2013). An overview of Taboo and superstition among the Yoruba of southwest of Nigeria. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2): 221-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n2p221
[23] Ogbonnaya, K.A. (2012). Problems Of Marginalization of Women in Community Development in Item, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. Department of Adult Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.