Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development, PAWED, is set to present the findings of the research on the challenges facing Nigerian women as they strive to partake in nation building.
The research was conducted by Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), and the development Research and Project Centre (dRPC).
This was made known in a statement signed by the PAWED National Coordinator, Vera Ndanusa.
According to her, the research was commissioned to assess women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria, focusing on women’s access and use of financial services as well as highlighting opportunities for women’s economic empowerment.
“The research findings show that about 51% of adult women have attained secondary education, women generally lack knowledge of the financial options available to them and the Nigerian women are predominantly business owners and significantly under-represented in formal salaried wage employment.
“Women who live in urban areas have more chances at attaining secondary education. women were less likely to have the necessary knowledge/skills to plan, budget finance, and choose financial products to satisfy their needs,” she explained.
Ndanusa stated that the scope of women’s economic empowerment in the report was on socio-economic activities which include education, income & technology use, access to resources (physical, social and financial), access to and use of financial services, financial health, and capability, autonomy, and participation in the community (labour, political, etc).
She stated that the insights shared in the report were based on secondary data analysis and the Access to Financial Services in Nigeria 2020 survey dataset, and other key informant interviews with women economic collective leaders across interest states in Nigeria.
The National Coordinator further disclosed that the researchers recommend that government should enforce policies and social protection systems for women such as unemployment benefits, maternity protection, pensions, and equal pay, as well as enforce legislation that mandates equality of rights and opportunities for women.
“Other recommendations as contained in the research report include the need to implement policies that encourage a balance between working life and family life, Investing in the social care infrastructure which could entail provision of public services directly or subsidizing and regulating the provision of private care.
“stakeholders need to enhance women’s access to productive assets, including property and financial and digital assets; and tackling discriminatory social norms,” she added.
A webinar has been scheduled for Tuesday to bring stakeholders across the country to discuss the findings and discuss ways to implement some of the findings to improve access to finance for Nigerian women.
The research had 11 Women Economic Collective leaders from Kano, Kwara, Bauchi, Lagos, Edo, and Enugu who contributed to the content.
The research by the Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), and the development Research and Project Centre (dRPC)was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under its Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development PAWED program in Nigeria.
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