Related
literature to the study was organized using the following sub-headings; need
for women education and summary; the conception world of women education. This
chapter tools at various works and opinion exposed by different writers and
contributors on female education most of the elders who are rally interviewed
why female education is highly relegated to background in Ezza-South Local
Government are more interested in their daughters getting married than going to
school.
According to one elder David Azi
(2005) when interview said: “To educate a woman is to encourage economic waste,
poverty, disgrace and prostitution”. From the past experience culture and
tradition assures this malady”. The nation needs to develop a conscious effort
to promote and sustain the education of women in the country. The federal and
state government cannot achieve a good measure of development without literate
women. The case of professor Dara Akinyi minister for communication, professor
Alele Williams, (1st woman vice chancellor), Hon. Eze Kwesili former
minister for education to mention but a few.
Education is now the key to a whole
bards of opportunities, we will be a nation without conscience it we continue
to deny our women education especially those in the rural areas the enabling
benefits of age of enlightenment.
The traditionally in Ezza, girls are
trained or educated traditionally, this is to enable them make good house wives
when they get married. Most parents give second place at times or no place at
all in the education of their daughters. To this, the Anglican Bishop of Enugu,
Right Reverend Otubelu (2000) says “men and women are all crated by God in his
own image and therefore all should not be family simply because they have marry
outside the family. Denying women education is equally denying them chances of
functioning effectively as tools for national development. In some families,
the position of the boys are valued highly while girls are regarded as second
class citizens. The grils are usually withdrawn from schools, when their
parents ran into financial difficulties. Girls are kept under supervision of
their mothers. They are taught how to take care of dwelling places, and working
apartments. Girls also are giving code of conduct in preparation of their role
as bride. Women are viewed just as house wives and mothers. Women are forced to
read courses in humanities and deny them science related subjects so that men
will dominate them. The more women remain uneducated, the happier men are so
that it gives men room for domination.
Sons are encouraged or even forced
to pursue their education to whatever level or heights their talents allow,
daughters, on the other hand, are often subjected to the indignity of early and
at times forced into marriage. Women are not considered fit in any other area
outside the domestic work. Every women supposes to be educated at least up to
the level of becoming an effective manager of her home. Ekwegbalu (1999) states
that “At the current trend in which women were relegated to the background and
made to earn their place in the kitchen by denying them education, are equally
denying them the chances of functioning effectively as tools for national
development. He also expressed displeasure at the ways in which women were
denied education with the shallow argument of “why waste good money to train a
daughter who will end up a wife in another family. Many were of the opinion
that women should be trained to be able to play the role of mothers. To them,
their there is no point sending a girl to school, rather she should be trained
to be good house: While the boys were receiving vagarious training on the farm
under the instruction of their fathers, the girls were undergoing training at
home, under the strict supervision of their mothers, they were taught to take
care of the children, prepare food, make cloths, wash utensils and take care of
the dwelling places. Girls were also given code of conduct in preparation for
their role as bride. This was echoed by Abiola (1992) when he says: “Women are
viewed as just more mothers and wives. They are not believed to be good for
anything else. Women are not encouraged to study science subjects so that they
will be free for use at the any moment the man needs her and also gives man
room for domination. He quotes Author Hailey who once said (1990), “No man will
be happy if the women he loves is not free”. Nigeria has had many great women
today. Abayeny, Mrs. Ransom Kuty, Mrs. Margert Ekpo, Mrs. Nuvaola Esane and
many others. In some families, the position of the boys are noted very high
respectful, superior and valued while girls are regarded to be inferior second
class citizens who will soon or later be sold out from the family. The girls
were usually withdrawn from school when their parents ran into financial handicapped.
This was echoed by, Abiola (1978) while sons are encouraged or even forced to
read and pursue their education to whatever high their talents allow, daughter
on the other hand, are often subjected to the indignity of early marriage
sometimes forced marriage. When we consider the old saying which says that
“woman education ends in kitchen”, this means that women were not considered
fit in any other area outside the domestic work, one will strongly agree with
Ndu (1998) who states that: “The age was long past when the kitchen was taught
to be the only safe place for women to work. If it was true that the hand that
rocks the cradle builds the nation, every women suppose to be educated at least
up to the level of becoming effective manager of her home. This will enable her
to live happy and comfortably with her husband and their children.
Another interesting case in this
write up is the general attitude of men towards women education. Some men think
that their position will taking by women if they are given the opportunity to
read further. Because of this the men have biased mind against women education,
the men refuse to speak favourably about women education. Stated by Mesa
(2003). On the contrary, Obagji (2005) states that: “The women are not itching
to compete with or take over anybody’s position. All they are asking for is to
be allowed to occupy their rightful place in order to make meaningful
contribution to the development”.
Contribution on women education many
of them fight tooth and nail to bridge the gap between the men and women educationally.
The world consideration of the organization of the teaching profession (WCOTP)
(1992) states that: parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate
discrimination against women in order to ensure to them equally right with men
in the field of education and in particular to ensure on a basis of equality of
men and women. The some condition for carrier and vocational guidance for
access to studies and for the achievement of diploma in educational
establishment of all categories in rural as well as urban areas; this equality
shall be ensured in pre-school, general technical, professional and higher
explication. Access to the same curriculum, the same examination, teaching
staff with qualification of the same quality.