Development through Gender Equity and Women Empowerment

Gender has been conceptualized from different perspectives, but whether in social or cultural terms, the evil connotation tends towards gender inequity or inequality which culminate in gender discrepancy and discrimination. The cultural values of Nigeria place women in the home passively subordinate to men in every sphere of life. The inferior status of the women cautions and sensitizes them to the possible consequences of violating social norms. Women in Nigeria have indeed been denied equal rights to basic education, economic advancement, always alienated in matters of governance through discriminatory and often times harmful traditional practices that have deliberately humiliated them. Women tend to be more sensitive to issues of affiliation, inclusion, loneliness and acceptance. They have greater tenderness, understanding and better control of emotions, which is why there can be no effective development strategy hi which women should not play a central role. Development is a process of change to a better, more advanced and highly organized conditions (Osim 2007). No full development can be attained without utilizing the potentials of the women population that constitute the substantial fraction of the total population, but women must close ranks for the total liberation and empowerment of women so that they can contribute their quota to our national development.