CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

The idea that men and women should be treated equally is a relatively recent social movement. Up until the end of the nineteenth century, women were considered to be of a lower status than males and were barred from participating in any aspect of public life, particularly those that were associated with politics, education, and certain professions. Misogyny rooted in Stoicism and Platonism gave impetus to those who opposed the concept of gender equality(James Bundage, 2021). This misogyny found support and justification in a variety of intellectual movements, beginning with early Christianity and continuing all the way to the Enlightenment. The history of the movement for gender equality is therefore an intellectual, political, social, and economic history of the changing relationship between men and women, rather than how it is often distractedly represented as a "pro-woman" movement. This is because the history of the movement for gender equality is an intellectual, political, social, and economic history of the changing relationship between men and women (James Bundage, 2021). Some people throughout the Middle Ages and early Modern period opposed the existing quo and fought for more equality between the sexes. This was done in spite of the fact that these sexist traditions were the norm at the time. Christine de Pisan (1430), a successful female writer of the French royal court who was born in Italy, was given the title of "the first proto - modern woman" due to her treatise panegyrizing the contributions that women had made to civilization, which was included in her famous works, The Book of the Cities of Ladies. Christine de Pisan passed away in 1430. According to Christine, there are no fundamental distinctions between men and women that account for the existence of gender disparity. Instead, she acknowledged the significance of education and opportunities as the primary factor, stating that "if it were the custom to send little girls to school and teach them all sorts of different subjects there, as one does with little boys, they would grasp and learn the difficulties of all of the arts and sciences just as easily as the boys." While at the same time establishing a 'new' canon of literature and history in which the contributions of women are recognized and celebrated, Christine provides a thorough criticism of the heritage of sexism that underpins literary, theological, and philosophical discourses. Many people believe that she embodied and advocated one of the earliest formulations of gender equality because of her life example (she was self-educated, she supported herself and her family through her writing, and she publicly engaged with contemporary debates), as well as the arguments she made for greater appreciation, better treatment, and equal access to education for women. These claims have been supported by the fact that she publicly engaged with contemporary debates. The following are important moments in history that occurred during the battle for gender equality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: In the United States: the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX and the Women's Educational Equity Act (1972 and 1975), Title X (1970, health and family planning), the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (1974), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, and landmark Supreme Court cases overturning anti-abortion legislation (Roe v. Wade, 1973). In Europe: the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (James Bundage, 2021). To achieve the third Millennium Development Goal (MDG), which aims to "promote gender equality and empower women," the major focus will be on education as the primary priority. The eradication of gender imbalance in elementary and secondary education by the year 2005 and at all levels of education by the year 2015 is the goal. The justification for adopting a gender equality approach within the realm of education necessitates both a rights and a development point of view. According to Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to an education is one of the most fundamental of all human rights: "Everyone has the right to education." At the very least, those phases of education considered to be the most essential and rudimentary should be provided without charge. The completion of one's primary education must be mandated. Education of a technical and professional kind must be made available to the general public, and education at the post secondary level must be open to all individuals on the basis of their individual merit. (United Nations, 2020).  According to Goal 3 of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, education is crucial for the capacity to exercise rights and, as a result, for the empowerment of women. Education is the foundation for the growth of a democratic society because it opens up opportunities for participation in all aspects of social, economic, and political life for women, men, and children alike. Since a long time ago, people have been aware of the many social and economic benefits of education, as well as the numerous benefits of education that girls and women may draw from. Access to education and the quality of education, both of which are connected to gender equality, are becoming an increasingly prominent target of interventions in development cooperation. Inequalities between the sexes have an impact not only on the architecture and administration of the educational system but also on the behaviors and perspectives of educators, the instructional resources available, and the subject matter of courses. The issues of gender inequality in society cannot be solved by interventions in the education sector; yet, education may have a significant influence on the lives of girls and women, as well as boys and men. Education is one of the most important factors that may play a role in influencing views about gender equality as a basic societal objective. (Statement of the United Nations, 2020). It's possible that achieving gender parity in and of itself might be a goal with obvious, inherent merit. On the other hand, a sizeable body of research has recently shown that gender equality and the success of other development objectives, such as health, education, the fulfillment of social and economic rights, and even growth, are inextricably linked to one another. (Terra Lawson, 2021).

It has been discovered, for instance, that greater levels of female education and literacy lead to lower rates of child mortality as well as improved educational results for the subsequent generation. It suggests that the presence of women in political leadership roles leads to an increase in the number of girls who attend school. The negotiating power that women have in the home may have an effect on the health of their children. Lower fertility rates, which are also related with increasing educational attainment for women, might have a favorable influence on development. Gender disparity in education, on the other hand, can be detrimental to growth. (Terra Lawson, 2021).

1.2       Statement of the Problem

A National Gender Policy has been implemented in Nigeria with the goal of promoting women's empowerment while simultaneously pledging to end discriminatory practices that are detrimental to the well-being of women. JICA (2019) Despite this, there are still significant gender gaps in Nigeria when it comes to education, economic empowerment, and political participation. Despite the fact that there has been some progress made toward gender equality in primary school education, there is still a significant wage gap and a gender gap in labor force participation (World Economic Forum, 2021). Laws and practices that discriminate against women, violence against women, and gender stereotypes all stand in the way of further progress toward gender equality. CEDAW (2022) reports that Nigeria has a particularly high maternal mortality rate, and that women's access to high-quality health care is restricted, especially in the country's rural areas.

Even though the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in Sections 15(2) and 42, traditional and religious laws continue to restrict women's rights. Because Nigeria is organized as a federal republic, each state in the country has the power to create its own set of laws. On the other hand, a Federal Court has the authority to overturn local laws if they are found to be in conflict with federal statutes or the Constitution. The existence of a federation, in addition to a tripartite legal structure consisting of civil, customary, and religious law, makes it extremely challenging to harmonize laws and eliminate discriminatory practices. In addition, some states in the north adhere to Islamic law, also known as Sharia, although this is not the case everywhere and is limited to situations in which Muslims utilize Islamic courts (US Department of State 2021). Practices that are unfavorable to women are reinforced when Islamic and customary law are adhered to. This includes practices relating to women's freedom of movement, marriage, and inheritance. In spite of the fact that during the middle of the 2000s, a bill titled "Abolition of all Forms of Discrimination against Women in Nigeria and other Related Matters Bill" was considered, the National Assembly did not pass either this bill or a related national bill prohibiting violence against women. Both the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 2022) and its Optional Protocol were ratified by Nigeria in the years 1985 and 2004, respectively. In 2005, the nation gave its official approval to the Rights of Women in Africa Protocol, which is an addendum to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Union 2020). Because of this, the researcher decided to try to investigate the roles that education plays in fostering gender equality.

1.3       Objective of the Study

The main objective of this present study is to investigate the functions of education in promoting gender equality.  Specifically, the study will be guided under the following objective.

i.          To find out the role of the higher institutions in promoting gender equality among students.

ii.        To determine the effect of sex segregation in education and its  risk to the society

iii.      To find out the challenges of  practicing gender equality in the society.

iv.      To identify if education is empowering/enlightening people on the need to practice gender equality

1.4       Research Questions

This research was carried out to answer the following research questions:

i.          What are the role of the higher institutions in promoting gender equality among students?

ii.        What are the effect of sex segregation in education and its  risk to the society?

iii.      What are the challenges of  practicing gender equality in the society?

iv.      Is  education empowering/enlightening people on the need to practice gender equality?

1.5       Significance of the study

The study will be significant to the Nigerian government and policy makers as it will expose them to the need of promoting gender equality by appointing women and men into political post.

This study will be significant to the University management board as it will expose them to the need of involving gender equality in the academic scheme and also practice it in other for effective promotion of gender equality.

The study will be of benefit to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

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