Gender inequalities in government and national development: a study of Enugu State

Abstract

In spite of the Affirmative Action agreed by the United Nations that stipulates 30 percent inclusion of women in government appointments, women in Nigeria are still being sidelined and treated as unequal in government activities. This study therefore examined the effect of gender inequalities in government and national development in Nigeria using Enugu State as a case study. The study adopted survey design in its investigation. 400 political executives served as our population. Because of the researchable size of the population, they were also our sample size. Chi-square statistical method was used to test our hypotheses and derived our findings. Findings of the study were that gender inequalities in government have a significant effect on human development index in Enugu State; gender inequalities in government have a significant effect on poverty rate in Enugu State; and gender inequalities in government have a significant effect on employment rate in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study recommended that government should explore Affirmative Action as recommended by the United Nations Organization, provide facilities and incentives that will enable women to contribute more to national development.