Impact of Women’s Ownership of Resources and Socio-Economic Development: A Case of Women in Fika Local Government Area, Yobe State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Ability of women to have access and control over resources is paramount in achieving gender equality and empowerment for equitable and sustainable growth and development. However, gender inequality in distribution of resources have placed women at disadvantage relative to men. This study examines the relationship between ownership of resources and socioeconomic development. Various degrees of women’s ownership of resources have also been identified. The population of women in the study area composed of 66901 according to the 2006 National Census. The sample used in this study was 382. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the respondents from various cluster/strata of women’s group. Data were collected through structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson Linear Regression. The result shows (41.0%) of respondents were within the age of 20-39 years, majority of women (32.2%) attained secondary education, majority of the respondents (32.9%) have only father, majority of them (32.9%) were single. The result also indicated that women access to ownership of resources include access to job in private companies (2.98%), ownership of economic and financial resources (2.92%), among others. Similarly, the study found that the elements of ownership of resources remained high while ability to manage their own business indicates low. Furthermore, findings of the study show the socioeconomic development among women in two of the elements of socioeconomic development, that is, women’s income level and women’s standard of living such as their ability to own bank accounts (2.83%), productive assets (2.38%), sleep under mosquito nets (3.02%). The study concludes that women access to ownership and control of resource had significant effect on family socioeconomic development, also recommends that all efforts to empower women should be directed towards economic empowerment such as ownership of land, houses and business activities.