Educational and Economic Empowerment of Women for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

This paper intended to explain how education may promote women empowerment and reduce the level of gender inequality in Nigerian society. Sustainable development is impossible in any country without the full and equitable mobilization of women who constitute more than half of the total world population. Research shows the activity rate of women is still inferior to that of men and argues that women are still relegated to the more traditional and mundane sectors as opposed to the modern socio-economic ones. Similarly, a spate of inequalities still exists between men and women in terms of education, economy and legal status in many countries at the expense of the latter. Related literature was reviewed to shed more light into the investigation and arguments. Economic barriers affecting women empowerment were also discussed. The study concluded that economic empowerment through education is a major key to women’s total liberation, and a re-orientation is needed for the men to positively change their cultural values and practices in favour of women education.