ABSTRACT
The main thrust of the study was to examine
the role of education in ensuring gender equality and its effect in the
society. Specifically, the study was set out to find out how education has
changed values and promote gender equality, determine how sex segregation in
education is a risk to the society among others. Five research questions and
five hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Relevant literature were
reviewed. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study and the
population of the study comprised all Lagos State civil servants. Simple and
Stratified Random Sampling techniques was employed to select 165 participants.
Questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. Some of the
major findings were that there is a significance difference between the mean
responses of male and female respondents on the way education can change values
and promote gender equality, there is no significance difference between the
mean responses of male and female respondents on sex segregation in education
and its risk to the society. The study concluded by recommending among others
that government should consider the interest, needs and priorities of both boys
and girls children when providing education for the society, more equal
opportunities should be given to the girl child as regards equal access to
education and educational facilities.
TABLE
OF CONTENT
Pages
Title
page i
Certification
ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table
of Content vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 3
1.3 Purpose of the Study 5
1.4 Research Objective 5
1.5 Research Question 5
1.6 Hypotheses 5
1.7 Definition of terms 6
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 Conceptual Framework 8
2.1 Theoretical Framework 11
2.2 Empirical Framework 12
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design 19
3.2 Population
for Study 19
3.3 Sampling and Sampling Technique 19
3.4 Research Instrument 20
3.5 Validity of the Research Instrument 20
3.6 Reliability of the Research Instrument 20
3.7 Administration of the Instrument 20
3.8 Method of Data Analysis 21
CHAPTER
FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
4.1 Introduction 22
4.2 Research Question 24
4.3 Test of Hypothesis 29
4.4 Findings of the Study
32
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Discussion of Findings
33
5.2 Summary of the Study
35
5.3 Conclusion
37
5.4 Recommendation
37
References 38
Appendices
40
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The concept of equality of the sexes is a relatively new
phenomenon. Until the end of the nineteenth century, women were treated as the
inferior sex and were excluded from taking part in public life, especially in
areas pertaining to politics, education and certain professions. Resistance to
the idea of gender equality drew its strength from Stoic and Platonic misogyny,
which was reinforced and justified under different intellectual movements, from
early Christianity through to the Enlightenment. The history of the movement
for gender equality is therefore an intellectual, political, social and
economic history of the changing relationship between men and women, rather
than how it is often distortedly represented as a ‘pro-woman’ movement (James
Bundage, 1991).
Despite the dominance of these misogynist traditions, some
individuals during the Middle Ages and early modern period challenged the status quo and called
for greater equality between the sexes.
Christine de Pisan (d. 1430), a successful Italian-born
female writer of the French royal court was named “the first proto-modern
woman” due to her treatise panegyrising the contributions of women to civilization,
in her famous works, The Book
of the Cities of Ladies. For Christine, gender inequality was not on
account of any innate differences between men and women. Instead, she
recognised the role of education and opportunities as the main cause:
“If it were the custom to send little girls to school and
teach them all sorts of different subjects there, as one does with little boys,
they would grasp and learn the difficulties of all the arts and sciences just
as easily as the boys.”
Christine comprehensively critiques the tradition of misogyny
underpinning literary, religious and philosophical discourses while at the same
time reconstructing a ‘new’ canon of literature and history in which the
contributions of women are included and applauded. Many have argued that by her
life example (self-educated, supporting herself and her family through her
writing, publicly engaging with contemporary debates) and by her arguments for
greater appreciation, better treatment and equal access to education for women,
she embodied and espoused one of the earliest formulations of gender equality.
Notable
events in the fight for gender equality in the nineteen and twentieth century
were the following: In
the US: the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
Title IX and the Women’s Educational Equity Act (1972 and 1975), Title X (1970,
health and family planning), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (1974), the
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, and landmark Supreme Court cases
overturning anti-abortion legislation ( Roe v Wade , 1973).
Education is chosen as the main target to attain the third Millennium
Development Goal (MDG3): “To promote gender equality and empower women”. The
target is: “The elimination of gender disparity in primary and secondary
education by 2005 and at all levels of education by 2015”.The rationale for a
gender equality perspective in education implies a rights perspective as well
as a development perspective. Education is a basic human right according to
Art. 26 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right
to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and
fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and
professional education shall be made generally available and higher education
shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit”. (United Nations,
2000)
The UN Millennium Development
Goals: Goal 3 sees Education as essential for the ability to exercise rights
and consequently for women’s empowerment. Education enables girls and boys,
women and men to participate in social, economic and political life and is a
base for development of a democratic society. The social and economic benefits
of education are well-known since long; also, the advantages of education that
girls and women can draw upon. Increasingly, interventions in development
cooperation focus on the coupled approach of access to and quality of
education, both related to gender equality. Gender inequalities also affect the
structure and management of the education system, the practices and attitudes
of teachers, learning materials and the content of the curriculum.
Interventions in the education sector cannot solve the problems of gender
inequality in society, yet education can have a major impact on the lives of
girls and women, boys and men. Education can be crucial to changing attitudes
into accepting gender equality as a fundamental social value. (United Nations,
2000)
Improving gender equity in itself may be a goal with
clear, intrinsic value. However, a substantial body of research now suggests
that gender equity and the achievement of other development goals, such as
health, education, social and economic rights fulfilment, and even growth, are
inseparable.(Terra Lawson, 2012)
For example, higher levels of female education and
literacy have been found to reducechild mortality and improve educational outcomes for the next generation. The presence of women in
political leadership positions appears to increase schooling for girls. Children’s health is influenced by women’s bargaining power in the home. Lower fertility
rates, also associated with increased educational attainment for women, can
have a positive effect on growth, while gender inequality in education undermines growth. (Terra Lawson, 2012).
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
Nigeria has a
National Gender Policy that focuses on women empowerment while also making a
commitment to eliminate discriminatory practices that are harmful to
women. JICA (2011) However, significant
gender gaps in education, economic empowerment and political participation
remain in Nigeria.[2] While progress towards parity in primary school education
has been made, there remains a significant wage and labour force participation
gender gap ,( World Economic Forum, 2011).[3]Discriminatory laws and practices,
violence against women and gender stereotypes hinder greater progress towards
gender equality. Nigeria has a particularly high maternal mortality rate and
women access to quality health care is limited, particularly in rural areas,
CEDAW (2008a).
Sections
15(2) and 42 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria prohibits discrimination on
the grounds of Sex, but customary and religious laws continue to restrict
women’s rights. As Nigeria is a federal republic, each State has the authority
to draft its own legislation. However, any law that is contradictory to Federal
Law or the Constitution can be challenged in a Federal Court. The combination
of federation and a tripartite system of civil, customary and religious law
makes it very difficult to harmonise legislation and remove discriminatory
measures. Moreover, certain States in the north follow Islamic (Sharia) law,
although not exclusively and only in instances where Muslims make use of
Islamic courts( US Department of State 2012). Adherence to Islamic and customary
law reinforces practices that are unfavourable to women, including those
relating to freedom of movement, marriage, and inheritance. Although an
‘Abolition of all Forms of Discrimination against Women in Nigeria and other
Related Matters Bill’ was considered in the mid- 2000s, the National Assembly
did not pass this bill nor a related national bill prohibiting violence against
women.
Nigeria
ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) in 1985, and the Optional Protocol in 2004. The country
ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on
the Rights of Women in Africa in 2005. (African Union 2010)
The
researcher was attempting to access the level of impact of education in enhancing
gender equity in the society.
1.3 Purpose
of the Study
The
main purpose of this present study is to investigate the role of education in
ensuring gender equality and its effect in the Nigerian society.
1.4
Research Objective
This study was carried out with the following
objectives:
a)
To find how education can change values and
promote gender equality
b)
To determine how sex segregation in education
is a risk to the society
c)
To find out the extent on how the society has
embraced gender equality
d)
To find out the benefits of gender equality
in the society
e) To
identify the role of education in empowering/enlightening people to know and
exercise their human rights
1.5 Research
Questions
This
research was carried out to answer the following research questions:
a)
How can the role of education help in
changing learning experiences that will foster gender equity in desired
outcomes?
b)
How can education change values and promote
gender equality?
c)
How does sex segregation in education risk to
the society?
d)
On what level has the society embraced gender
equality?
e)
What benefits/effects has gender equality had
on areas it has been accepted highly?
1.6 Hypotheses
1. There
is no significance difference between the mean responses of male and female
respondents on the way Education can change values and promote gender equality
2. There
is no significance difference between the mean responses of male and female
respondents on sex segregation in education and its risk to the society.
3. There
is no significance difference between the mean responses of male and female respondents on the extent to
which society has embraced gender equality.
4. There
is no significance difference between the mean responses of male and female
respondents on the benefit gender equality have had in the society
5. There
is no significance difference between the mean responses of male and female
respondents on the role education has played in enlightening people to know and
exercise their rights in the society.
1.7 Definition of Terms
Gender equity
Gender Equity is the process of allocating resources, programs,
and decision making fairly to both males and females without any discrimination
on the basis of sex and addressing any imbalances in the benefits available to
males and females.
Gender equality
Gender
equality is the view that all genders, including men and women, should receive
equal treatment, and should not be discriminated against based on their gender.
Gender difference
Gender
differences refer to socially defined differences between men and women.
Society
Society
is a group of people involved in persistent social interaction, or a large
social grouping sharing the same geographical or social territory, typically
subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
Education
Education
is the process of facilitating learning. Knowledge, skills, values, beliefs,
and habits of a group of people are transferred to other people, through
storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, or research.
Social status
Social
status is the relative rank that an individual holds, with attendant rights,
duties, and lifestyle, in a social hierarchy based upon honour or prestige.
Work place
The
workplace is the physical location where someone works.
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