Gender Disparities in Educational Attainment and Governance in Nigeria: Implications for Women Employment in Agriculture
Abstract
Bridging the gender gap is an indispensable component for sustainable development of agricultural and economic growth in Africa, as the female gender folk are saddled with a lot of other household responsibilities compared to their male counterparts. This study examined the gender disparities in governance and educational attainment on women's employment in agriculture in Nigeria using secondary data. Descriptive statistics results showed that male and female mean years of schooling were 6 and 4 years respectively in 2009 and 2010. There was a constant differential progression of employment from 2001 (9.59%) to 2013 (18.5%) for male than females. The paired t-test result showed a significant difference (t=16.620, df =27, P< 0.05) between the percentage of male and females employed in agriculture. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) results revealed a direct and significant relationship (r=0.94; P<0.05) between the number of males in governance and the gender gap in agricultural employment. The study, therefore, recommends that structural adjustment should be made for the inclusion of more females in governance and educational institutions to narrow the agricultural gender gap in Nigeria.
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