EFFECTS OF SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMME ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL WOMEN IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF AWGU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA)

ABSTRACT

The topic of this study is Effect of Social Welfare Programme on Economic Development of Rural Women in Nigeria A case study of Awgu Local Government Area. Governments of nowadays have a lot of responsibilities including the provision of social services. The services which the government ought to provide to Awgu rural women include: water, free health facilities, employment, empowerment, free education, to mention but a few. The provision of these is not adequate and this compelled the researcher to carryout the study. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used to gather data. The APA style of reference was used. The validity and reliability of the instrument were tested. In distributing the questionnaires, face-to-face method of distribution was used. Tabular method of analysis was used.

The findings of this study are that the social service needs of Awgu women are on health care, potable water, employment etc. The extent to which women in the area benefit from the social welfare services is small; the impact of social welfare services in the area is more of the positive influence than the negative influence. The roles of social workers will be of great importance and that one of the problems militating against the provision of social welfare services in the area is inadequate resources.

The researcher recommended that government should endeavour to provide the women with those social services they need, government should expand the services provided for the rural women such as encouraging the women to participate in decision making process, empower them etc, every effort should be made to provide the women with adequate resources such as fund, trained personnel etc.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Social welfare administration is an administration and management of people that are incapacitated socially and physically inbalance or less privilege. While development is a planned change. It is a constant process of transformation. Development can also be referred to as a dynamic concept denoting a state of cease less change. Hence, social welfare service for rural women is an articulated attempt by government of Nigeria and Agwu Local Government Area of Enugu State to look into the various welfare packages provided for women in order to improve their economic development. According to Echezona 2000, the women in the rural area form a greater part of Nigerians population and as such they deserve much more attention in terms of social welfare service provision. This means that women have roles to play towards the socioeconomic development of our nation Nigeria may be that is why the United Nation declared 19701980 the decade for women.

The declaration sparked off women into engaging themselves in so many development programme or activities. In Nigeria for instance, there have been a lot of women oriented programmes such as Better Life for rural women, Family Support Proramme FSP, Family Economic Advancement Programme FEAP and Child Trust Fund CTF. In Enugu state, there are some social welfare programme for rural women handed by ministry of gender to improve women/children and youths welfare in the state. Most of the women oriented organizations are to tackle some of the social injustice mated out on women. Recently there are organizations founded by Her Excellency Hajiya Turai Umar Musa Yaradua the wife of the immediate past president of the federation struggle to combat poverty, child and maternal mortality including HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. She also contributed in building homes, encouraging strong family ties and nation building. She developed Maternal Newborn and Child Heath MNCH. This is a strategy to strengthen the health system towards realizing some aspects of the millennium development goals. She has equally channeled her energies towards mobilizing funds for the upgrading of the living standard of Nigerian mothers, children and youths and another pet project tagged Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation WAYEF also project towards issues relating to poverty alleviation and eradication, illiteracy, human health, women education and empowerment of rural women and the encouragement of The Nigerian Girl Education Initiative NGEI. This development promoted the need for this study The Effects of Social Welfare Programme on Economic Development of Rural Women in Nigeria A case study of Awgu Local Government Area. The researcher therefore wants to investigate to see how far all these programmes has facilitated the economic development of Nigerian women and supply of social welfare services.

Summarily, the researcher is compelled because of her experience to examine how these welfare programmes /services are administered and their impacts as far as rural women are concerned especially in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The major problem which prompted the researcher to investigate on this phenomenon is the low level of education. No formal education is established especially on the female children because of the high cost of education and parents hardly afford the cost. Thereby exposing these children to various vices in the society.

Another problem encountered in this area Agwu Local Government Area is poor electricity. They still make use of lamps and candles and they still live in poorly ventilated houses. Another problem in inadequate water supply, there are no pipe borne water and still practice subsistence farming thereby facing serious problems of poverty, social decency and economic backwardness. For this, the researcher is bordered with these phenomenons and wants to know if these social welfare services would be provided for the women in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study includes:

To determine the nature of social welfare services available to rural women in the area for their economic and social development.

To examine the extent to which the rural women benefit from the social welfare services.