For the political interest organization, see Women in Nigeria (organization).
Not to be confused with Women in Niger.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Women in Nigeria" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(November 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Women in Nigeria
Nigerian women
General Statistics
Maternal mortality (per 100,000)
630 (2010)
Women in parliament
6.7% (2012)
Women over 25 with secondary education
NA
Women in labour force
50% (2017)[1]
Gender Inequality Index[2]
Value
0.680(2021)
Rank
168th out of 191
Global Gender Gap Index[3]
Value
0.639 (2022)
Rank
123rd out of 146
Women in Nigeria are a diverse group of individuals who have a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.[4] They are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, entrepreneurs, professionals, and activists. Women in Nigeria face numerous challenges, including gender inequality, poverty, and a lack of access to education and healthcare.[5] Despite these challenges, Nigerian women are making strides in all areas of life and are becoming increasingly empowered to take control of their lives and their futures.[6]
Part of a series on
Women in society
Society
Women's history (legal rights)
Woman
Animal advocacy
Business
Female entrepreneurs
Gender representation on corporate boards of directors
Diversity (politics)
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Economic development
Explorers and travelers
Education
Feminism
Womyn
Government
Conservatives in the US
Heads of state or government
Legislators
Queen regnant
List
Health
Journalism
Law
Law enforcement
Military
Mother
Nobel Prize laureates
Piracy
Positions of power
Reproductive rights
Venture capital
Violence and abuse
Voting rights
Workforce
Exchange of women
Science
Technology
Computing
Engineering
Geology
Medicine
dentistry
in the United States
Organizations
Science
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Space
Telegraphy
Arts
Humanities
Architecture
Arts
Art history field
Women's cinema
Dance
Film
"Chick flicks"
Fine arts
Literature
Science fiction
Philosophy
Feminist philosophy
Photographers
Music
Jazz
Punk rock
In Shakespeare's works
Religion
Theological figures
Baháʼí Faith
Bible
Buddhism
Christianity
Catholicism
Mormonism
Opus Dei
Hinduism
Islam
Judaism
Sikhism
Taoism
Popular culture
Comics
Portrayal in American comics
Film industry
Music
Fictional pirates
Speculative fiction
Video games
Gender representation in video games
Sports
Auto racing
Baseball
Basketball
Boxing
Cricket
Curling
Cycling
Fastpitch softball
Football / soccer
Golf
Gymnastics
Ice hockey
Lacrosse
Mixed martial arts
Netball
Paralympic Games
Rodeo
Roller derby
Rowing
Surfing
Swimming
Tennis
Track and field
Volleyball
Winter sports
See also: List of sports
By country
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus (North)
Denmark
DR Congo
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
East Timor
Ethiopia
FS Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Iceland
Italy
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Ivory Coast
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Mongolia
Morocco
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Spain
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
South Sudan
Sudan
Suriname
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Tonga
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Trinidad and Tobago
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Kurdistan
v
t
e
Nigeria's underdevelopment regarding the status of their women, due to a long history of colonial exploitation and oppression, has brought about a distortion of Nigeria's economic, educational, religious, cultural, social, ideological and social orientations.[7] Nigeria has a long history of gender inequality and discrimination against women. Women in Nigeria face a number of challenges, including limited access to education, health care, and economic opportunities.[8] Women are also disproportionately affected by poverty, violence, and other forms of discrimination. The Nigerian government has taken steps to address these issues, but progress has been slow. Women are still underrepresented in politics and decision-making roles, and they are often excluded from economic opportunities.[9] Additionally, traditional gender roles and cultural norms continue to limit the potential of women in Nigeria.[10] The social role of women in Nigeria varies according to religious,[11] cultural[12] and geographic factors. However, many Nigerian cultures see women solely as mothers, sisters, daughters and wives.[13][14] For instance, women in Northern Nigeria are more likely to be secluded in the home[15] than women in Southern Nigeria, who tend to participate more in public life.[16] In Southern Nigeria, widows experience different ill-treatment from their in-laws, which include forcing them to drink the remnant water after bathing the dead husband, sleeping on bare floor, wearing black gown, and denying them inheritance from the wealth of their deceased husband.[17] Modern challenges for the women of Nigeria include child marriage,[18] female genital mutilation,[19] rape,[20] and domestic violence.[21] Gender inequality in Nigeria is an ongoing issue, with the state ranking 168th out of 191 countries in the Gender Inequality Index.
^"Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (Modeled ILO estimate) | Data".
^"Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORTS. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^"Global Gender Gap Report 2022" (PDF). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
^Nafiu, Akeem Tunde; Alogwuja, Unekwu Cynthia; Enimola, Dare Joseph (2021-01-16). "Exploring the Diversity within the Workplace of Small Firms in Kogi State, Nigeria". Facta Universitatis, Series: Economics and Organization (1): 329–341. doi:10.22190/FUEO200729024N. ISSN 2406-050X. S2CID 234262599.
^Obayelu, Abiodun; Ogunlade, I. (2006-08-13). "Analysis of the uses of information communication technology (ICT) for gender empowerment and sustainable poverty alleviation in Nigeria". International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT. 2 (3): 45–69. ISSN 1814-0556.
^"Empowering the Third Billion: women and the world of work in 2012 | VOCEDplus, the international tertiary education and research database". www.voced.edu.au. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
^Ihonvbere, Julius Omozuanvbo (1994-01-01). Nigeria: The Politics of Adjustment and Democracy. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4128-2975-5.
^Omoju, Oluwasola E.; Abraham, Terfa W. (2014-03-24). "Youth bulge and demographic dividend in Nigeria". African Population Studies. 27 (2): 352–360. doi:10.11564/27-2-480. ISSN 2308-7854. S2CID 154675695.
^Eni, Onyekachi; Nnam, Macpherson Uchenna; Udu, Eseni Azu (2022-06-23). "The Right to Participate in Political and Decision-Making Process under the Maputo Protocol: Normative Masculinity and Nigerian Women". The Age of Human Rights Journal (18): 397–423. doi:10.17561/tahrj.v18.6633. ISSN 2340-9592. S2CID 250007906.
^F. Adetowun Ogunṣhẹyẹ (1988). Nigerian women and development. Ibadan, Nigeria: Ibadan University Press. p. 5. ISBN 978-121-219-5. OCLC 21334024.
^Mitchell, Travis (2016-03-22). "7. Theories explaining gender differences in religion". Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
^Andrews, Dr Shawn. "Council Post: How Culture Impacts Our Value Of Women". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
^Sibani, Clifford (July 2017). "Gender Inequality and its Challenge to Women Development in Nigeria: The Religious Approach". Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities. 18 (2): 432–449. doi:10.4314/ujah.v18i2.25.
^Agbasiere, Joseph Thérèse (22 December 2015). Women in Igbo life and thought. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-35893-7. OCLC 933433211.
^Usman Al-amin (22 November 2018). "Gender and Religion in Nigeria: The Role of Northern Nigerian Muslim Women in National Development" (PDF). Journal of Science, Humanities and Arts. 5 (9): 1–22. doi:10.17160/josha.5.9.503. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-11-11.
^Afolabi, Comfort Yemisi (2019). "The Invisibility of Women's Organizations in Decision Making Process and Governance in Nigeria". Frontiers in Sociology. 3. doi:10.3389/fsoc.2018.00040.
^"Property inheritance: Widows' endless battle against oppression, search for equity". Punch Newspapers. 2022-10-29. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
^"Atlas".
^Okeke, T.; Anyaehie, U.; Ezenyeaku, C. (2012). "An Overview of Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria". Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research. 2 (1): 70–73. doi:10.4103/2141-9248.96942. PMC 3507121. PMID 23209995.
WomeninNigeria are a diverse group of individuals who have a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives,...
of Women Affairs and Social Development is a part of the Federal Ministries of Nigeria that promotes the development of women and children inNigeria. The...
disparities. In 2009, the Nigerian Population Council (NPC) observed that women with higher educational qualifications are more likely to be in formal wage...
affected the ways in which the sexual practices of Nigerianwomen were viewed. In Pre colonial Nigeria there were many alternative viewpoints on female...
Slavery has existed in various forms throughout the history of Nigeria, notably during the Atlantic slave trade and Trans-Saharan trade. Slavery is now...
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea...
in Borno State, Nigeria. Prior to the raid, the school had been closed for four weeks due to deteriorating security conditions, but the girls were in...
controversial topic inNigeria. Abortion inNigeria is governed by the two laws that differs greatly depending on geographical location. Northern Nigeria is governed...
in socially constructed gender roles. Gender inequality inNigeria is influenced by different cultures and beliefs. In most parts of Nigeria, women are...
inNigeria is an economic process that involves empowering Nigerianwomen as a poverty reduction measure. Empowerment is the development of womenin terms...
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the sixth in the world. It is also one of the most densely populated countries in Africa, with approximately...
Premiership (formerly NigeriaWomen Premier League) is the top-level league for women's association football inNigeria. It is the women's equivalent of the...
forms of violence against womeninNigeria are rape, acid attacks, molestation, wife beating, and corporal punishment. The Nigerian government has taken legal...
Nigeria is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to trafficking in persons including forced labour and forced prostitution...
Human rights inNigeria are protected under the current constitution of 1999. While Nigeria has made major improvements in human rights under this constitution...
books about Nigerianwomen and studies: Abdu, Hussaini (2001). Women and politics inNigeria: agenda for political participation. WomeninNigeria, Kaduna...
The federal government of Nigeria is composed of three distinct branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial, whose powers are vested and...
Miss Nigeria is an annual pageant showcasing positive attributes of Nigerianwomen, and awarding university scholarships.The winner is expected to portray...
dress or Asoebi dresses by Yoruba women. Edo women wear a wedding crown called an okuku. Muslim womenin northern Nigeria wear various types of veil, including...
Women Consortium of Nigeria (WOCON) is a non-profit organisation headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. It was established by the late Chief Olabisi Olateru-Olagbegi...
Excellence (AfriSAFE). She is listed among the five most influential womeninNigeria and was a key member of the privatisation team that examined Eko Electricity...
Newspapers published inNigeria have a strong tradition of the principle of "publish and be damned" that dates back to the colonial era when founding fathers...