The Extent of Disempowerment among Esan Women Farmers of Edo State, Nigeria

The need to expand the capacities of rural woman farmers is not negotiable within the framework of human development as women hold the key to attaining global food security. However, dearth o f data about rural women concerns persists in Nigeria. This paper therefore presents the experiences of rural women in their farming occupation with empirical data from Esan Women in Edo State, Nigeria. Their s truggle for modem farming technologies and credit facilities are presented. A triangulation method of data collection was employed involving the use of the s tructured, in-depth interviews and the Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qua litative methods of data analys is. Result shows that there is a positive relationship between women empowerment and food production, but the presence of empowetment indicators was found to be inadequate. Specifically, the respondents were found to be grossly defi cient in access to modem farming technologies and credit fac ili ties. The paper concludes that Nigerian Development cannot be complete without rural women's empowerment. Recommendations are proffered accordingl

Rural Women's Empowerment through Education in Southern Nigeria: Implications for Global Food Security

Women empowerment has become a topical issue across the world. However, the trend is often skewed against rural women. Yet, rural women, who are predominantly farmers, bear several burdens both within the fam il y and in the society as a whole. Pat1icularly, as it has become generally accepted that the task of attaining food secUJity rests on the shoulders of rural women. llowever, rural women fa1111ers don 't often have to the agricultural productive input such as land, technologies and credit facilities, they require for the ir farming activities. In addition, they don't have the libet1y to participate in leadership roles and decision making. Social norms bar them from these pri vileges. Data for this paper was obtained from an empirical s tudy conducted in Edo State, Southern Nigeria. A total number of 457 women were involved in the quantitative study. Findings show that only 0.2% has attended any farmers' education program. This paper combines both empirical data and existing g lobal literature to affirm rural women as fam1 managers and argues that since their e fficiency dete1111ines g lobal food security, then the need to educate them cannot be overemphasized. The paper concludes that women should be empowered through fanners' education to be more efficient in their occupation. This action is vital for them to be able to contribute more to global food security

A CHRONOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES IN NIGERIA

Literature is replete with studies on women empowerment in different parts of the world. However, little is often mentioned about the history of women empowerment struggles Nigeria. This paper sets out to fill that gap by providing a precise literature review on the history of women empowerment initiatives from the global platform to the African context, specifically Nigeria. The lingering debates on how to appropriately measure empowerment are discussed. In addition, the views of some scholars such as Mary Wollstonecraft, John S. Mill, and Boserup are mentioned. Furthermore, the action-oriented contributions of many African women including Adelaide Casely-Hayford, Funmilayo Ransome-kuti, Margaret Ekpo, and Ruth Kharma are highlighted. The implication of empowerment initiatives is focused on women farmers. In conclusion, the paper upholds that women empowerment struggles have recorded great success across many contexts in the world, including Nigeria, although much remains to be done

Chemical constituents and anti-inflammatory activity of leaf essential oil of Nigerian grown Chenopodium album L.

Hydrodistilled leaves of Chenopodium album yielded 0.64 % v/w of essential oil. GC and GC/MS analyses of the oil revealed that the bulk of the oil was constituted by aromatic compounds (60.1 %). The abundant constituents of the oil were: p- cymene (40.9 %), ascaridole (15.5 %), pinane-2-ol (9.9 %), α-pinene (7.0 %), β-pinene (6.2 %) and α-terpineol (6.2 %). The oil displayed strong anti-inflammatory activity against 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) – induced ear edema in mice

Degree of Esan Women’s Involvement in Farm Labour: Implication for Food Security

Drive towards women empowerment is gaining momentum in recent years. Despite the obvious success recorded among women generally, the case of rural women farmers in particular remains controversial. Some studies have reported increase in women’s access to agricultural productive resources such as land, farm technologies and credit facilities. But the extent to which women continue to engage in farm labour remains scarcely studied. Understanding the current degree to which women engage in farm labour is important for the future of women empowerment and food security. This study was conducted among Esan rural women farmers in Edo State, Nigeria. The sample size consisted of 457 women and the survey questionnaire was used to elicit responses from them on their level of involvement in farm labour. Also, the qualitative method of data collection involving focus group discussion was adopted. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics. Result showed that women engage in every facet of food production from the point of land preparation to distribution, although at different degrees. The paper recommends among others, that women empowerment efforts should be intensified among rural women farmers to enable them contribute maximally to food security

Gender differentials in the perception of mental illness among the Yoruba of Ogun state, Nigeria

Mental illness presents lots of challenges especially in Nigeria. There are various cultural factors that influence perceptions of people about mental illness. Although studies exist on perceptions of mental illness, little attention has been paid to gender differences. This study therefore examined gender differentials in the perception of mental illness among the Yoruba people of Ogun State, Nigeria. Labelling theory provided the theoretical framework. Nine hundred and sixty seven adults were randomly selected. Five In-depth Interviews were conducted among caregivers of people living with mental illness (those who are receiving treatment and those who have recovered) and nineteen Key Informant Interviews were conducted among orthodox practitioners and traditional healers. The study revealed that there were significant differences between men and women in the perception of mental illness. Stigmatisation and gender discrimination among People Living with Mental Illness (PLWMI) should be eradicated through government actions, advocacy and education.Keywords: Gender differentials, Mental illness, Treatment, Perception, Ogun Stat

Survey datasets on patterns of utilization of mental healthcare services among people living with mental illness

The data was obtained from a field survey aimed at measuring the patterns of utilization of mental healthcare services among people living with mental illness. The data was collected using a standardized and structured questionnaire from People Living with Mental Illness (PLMI) receiving treatment and the care-givers of People Living with Mental Illness. Three psychiatric hospitals in Ogun state, Nigeria were the population from which the samples were taken. Chi-square test of independence and correspondence analysis were used to present the data in analyzed form. Keywords: Survey, Utilization questionnaire, Survey analytics, Statistics, Mental health, Psychiatr