Millennium Development Goals Essay

Abstract muliebrityhood is a destination usu each(prenominal)y reserved for an adult, with the term girl existence the usual term for a female person child or adolescent. However, the term woman is also used to identify a female human, cargonless(predicate) of age. This newsprint examines the place of vocational instruction as a substance of wo manpower potency in Nigeria. How much a nation trains has a stripe to do with the quality of human resources and tuitional attain manpowert of its citizens. The reach of vocational culture programme as a positive instrument for the empowerment of women in South-East, Nigeria was discussed.It was predicated on the assumption that vocational program tune learnedness is close related to scotch empowerment of women. This programme as healthful as the syllabus could be designed to realise c be of the needs of the l fetch waterers in order to advance scientific disciplines necessary for employment, self-importance-reliance and stinting ripening. The acquisition of these vocational skills leave alone greatly help to empower and transform women into self-reliant persons and realise her stinting onlyy viable.This economic empowerment will greatly help to dislodge the incidence of prostitution,kidnapping, and new(prenominal) accessible vices that atomic number 18 prevalent among women in South-East, Nigeria. Hence, it is recommended among other things, that g allwherenment, private organizations and NGOs should adequately support the funding of vocational breeding programme.Keywords vocational discipline, economic empowerment, social vices. INTRODUCTION Women play a central occasion in the socio-economic armment of each clubhouse. In fact societal sustainable development is possible that if women are actively involved. Women must whence be some(prenominal) participants and beneficiaries of development programmes.The unify Nations reading Programme UNDP (1997) observes that women ecumenic constitute half of population, perform two thirds of the hours failed, are registered as only performing one third of these hours, receive only 10% of the worldly concerns income and baffle 1% of the worlds straitlacedty registered in their name. This is injustice at its peak, and no sustainable development will take place in such situation of in compare.The Nigerian woman has non pressed hard to derive the upright benefit of her economic activism and activities. qualifying by the 2006 census, al more or less 50% of thetotal population of the country of over 170 million is women. The federal Office of Statistics, (2006) reports that 70% of this population ( round 59,500,000 women) bear and spring in the rural areas. In the depart few decades, a consciousness has been awaken globally that unless something is done to empower women as an saki group, global development will remain a mirage.vocational fostering has been recognized as an instrument for promoting surrounding sally sound sustainable development (FRN, 200430) as well as amethod of alleviating poverty. It is the basis for the full progress and improvement of the status of women. vocational bringing up empowers women by modify their living standards. It is the starting point for womens advancement in antithetical fields of human endeavor and a basic mechanism that should be given to women in order to fulfill their economic consumptions as full members of the society. command of which vocational is an aspect, constitutes the single around important institutional boost to women empowerment.vocational raisingespecially is an excellent tool for bringing intimately item-by-item and issue development. However, a cursory look at the pattern of womens involvement in vocational randomness in Nigeria reveals abysmal execrable aims. In spite of all the laudable goals and objectives of vocational tuition, Nigerian women heretofore suffer a lot of constraints and inhibitions which mil itate against their personal and national development. vocational command focuses on the learner who is make to imbibe or bring knowledge, skills, set and even attitudes that enable him to solve his and societal problems.Educated persons who acquire knowledge and skill fucking easily manipulate goods and services to bring to pass wealth for themselves and the society and thus create employment opportunities for others thitherby cut poverty. In absence of this, what is obtainable is a whole lot of women who leave out skills, knowledge and appropriate value- orientation to survive in a knowledge- grindn delivery.They magical spell out to be societal misfits prostitutes, armed-robbers, kidnapers, cause crises and upheaval in the society. This paper examines the importance of vocationaleducation as a means of empowering women in Nigeria. It investigates socio economic and political factors impeding this noble field. It presents a causal agent for change womens economic statu s through greater participation in vocational education to fight hunger, poverty and unemployment through wage or self employment in the face of insecure and scotch society we find ourselves.VOCATIONAL program lineAL IN NIGERIA FRN (200429) described vocational education as those aspects of the educational process involving, in addition to ordinary education, the field of honor oftechnologies and related science and the acquisition of pragmatical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in non-homogeneous spheres of economy and social liveness. Fakes (2005) defined vocational education as that type of education that has specific relation with working life. According to Ogbuanya (2006), it is practical oriented and spans across areas like agriculture and related trades, building and wood work trades, commercial and related studies, electrical, textile and related trades as well as hospitality trades.Going by the above definition, vocational and skilful education are interwoven as both are accommodate toward development of skills need in the world of work, it is based in manual of arms and practical activities which prepares one for gainful employment in recognized institutions and fields. Vocational education has passed through a series of trends ranging from pre- colonial era to date. Fafunwa (1991) observe that orb (western) education started in Nigeria in 1842, however, prior to this time, traditional and Moslem education return been holding sway in Nigeria.Traditional education has somefeatures of vocational education like smiting, building, craft to mention only a few. Even with the commencement of Christian missional activities in formal western education in Nigeria, emphasis was non placed on vocational education in the formal education heavens. Pure literacy as against vocational skill acquisition was the goal of education then. However, by 1863, it occurred to the missionaries that the chute-the-chute a nd spade should go together. Hence this principle made some missionary schools to accept elements of manual work like farming and bricklaying in their extra-curricular activities. applaudable of mention is that the attempts made by some of the missionary organizations towards industrial and artless education failed in most cases. Today, as pressure mounts in grand unemployment queues, youth restiveness, mettlesome cost of living and insecurity in the nation, there is growing need to embrace vocational education as a tool for women empowerment for real national development Goals and Objectives of Vocational rearing and Training The Federal Republic of Nigeria, (2004) highlighted what the goals of vocational education should be to entangle?Provision of trained manpower in the applied sciences, technology and vexation particularly at craft, advanced craft and skillful levels. ?Provision of technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, commercial and econ omic development. ?Giving information and imparting skills to individuals who shall be self- reliant economically. It is believed that trainees on completion of vocational education course will stir employable skills, set up their accept business and employ others or pursue further education in advance technical programmes or otherinstitutions of high study.Vocational education plays a vital role in up the overall eudaimonia of the quite a little by empowering individuals through skill acquisition. UNESCO (2006) affirmed that since education is the tonality to any beliefive national development, vocational education is the master rouge that rear alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life for all thereby achieving sustainable development through empowerment of women and youths alike.CHALLENGES OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION The importance of vocational education in both personal and nationaldevelopment can non be over-emphasized. Such type of education is paramount towards the prepa ration of the citizens that would not only be innovative and fat but having acquired general education could patriotically contribute towards the development of their individual societies. In contrast, in spite of the gain that could be sourced from vocational education, Nigeria is just to attain the level of impressive satisfaction as far as formal vocational education is concerned. This situation could be attributed to the following factorsInadequate personnel in vocational colleges Vocational education in the formal education sector had not been yielding the expected dividends as a result of the dearth of teachers of the vocational courses recognized by the National Policy on Education. This has brought about a situation whereby the personnel readily available are made to take extra work loads which in effect is not beneficial for the development of vocational education. This practice had raped the official teacher-student ratio of 120 as provided by the Federal R epublic of Nigerian in its National Policy on Education.Poor delivery and reception of the expected skills has been a resultant effect. Another problem that had been undermining the development of lodge in towards the study of vocational education courses by individuals is the issue of lack of industries or job opportunities where the skills thus acquired could be meaningfully utilized (Mohammed 2009). It is obvious that most of the industries in Nigeria are winding up. In view of this, canvass a course that will make an individual wallow in unemployment is not in the best interest of the individual. For this reason, individuals do opt for other courses where they have brighter job opportunities.This in fact would bring about the reduction in number of people who would be enthusiastic towards furthering their education along the line of vocational education. In addition, the proximity of the secondary schools to any university that is offering vocational education courses could be a factor towards the development of the zeal for studying vocational education courses. Lack of adequate materials Vocational education is about the development of motor skills.This cannot be achieved where materials are not adequate. In the case of Nigeria, most of the secondary schools or technical and vocationalcolleges do not have the workshops, laboratories and the materials cum equipment that would facilitate the teaching and learning of vocational education courses (Mbakwem and Anyanwu, 2013). This had led to the teaching of theoretical aspects of the courses thus making the learner inadequate in the actual use or practice of principles delivered to them. As a result, the products of formal vocational education schools have failed to meet with the demands of employers of labour as they lack cognate vocational training.Sector-specific corruption and the crisis of funding manifested in grossly inadequate budgetary allocations as well as generally collapsed standards in some all levels of Education manifested in symptoms of mass failure, cheating, fraudulent and nefarious tendencies in schools. These and other numerous obstacles do exist but this work had confined its discussion within the scope of the above stated. WOMEN EMPOWERMENT potency is a call to action and it involves a process of fundamental change in quality of life of any material being.It is the ability to effect changeand make meaningful choices. dominance is investing legally or formally with power, authorizing, licensing, alter, permitting, giving people more control over their hold lives. Sako (1999) defines empowerment as the process of strengthening the existing capacities and capabilities of disadvantaged groups in society so as to enable them perform better towards improving themselves, their families and the society as a whole. It involves the provision of enabling environment for their arable and intellectual abilities to be realized. Wiki defines empowerment as not giving pe ople power but lettingout the power in them.It opines that most women across the globe rely on the informal work sector for an income. If they are charge to do more and be more, the possibility for economic growth becomes apparent. Ighodalo (1990) views women empowerment as a process of enabling women to develop the capacity to actualize their potentials. Ighodalo further adds that women should be looked at as individuals that bear some hidden potentials for broadness and so should be encouraged to develop such to the fullest.The process of empowerment must necessarily also include theexpansion of womens access to educational opportunities, facilities for skills acquisition and faces of authority. Empowering the woman is empowering all of humanity. This is because the woman is the pivot of the family. United Nations was apt to capture this in this divisions international day for violence against women titled From Peace in the home to Peace in the World, it is believed that emp owered women can do more to contribute to peace in the world. Empowerment is a drive towards realization of the innate potentials found in an individual.Thus, the potentials found in the woman canbe enhanced if empowered. Women empowerment involves issues like (a) How women perceive themselves and are perceived by intimate and distant others in society. (b) How women treat themselves and are treated by others. (c) Ability to make make out decisions on matters relating to themselves and their children. (d) The variety show of opinion they have in other aspects of decision making in the family. It must be noted here that all these are virtually impossible without proper and adequate training especially at the higher level which includes vocational education. BENEFITS OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT.Women empowerment could be likened to leveling the playing prove for women, and this would offer huge potentials to everyone. For example, UNICEF information sheet (2007) states that educating girl s and women help develop self confidence, security measures from sexual exploitation, improved health care, better child education and poverty reduction for generations to come. Women empowerment is a global topic. The United Nations include gender and women empowerment in its development goals as it is an important tool for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).In Nigeria, a goodnumber of women are now found in many prestigious occupations such as law, medicine, architecture, the armed forces and so on and they are really living up to expectations. At the same time, an equally large number, especially those living in the rural areas are engaged in menial jobs to earn a living. Most jobs performed by women, according to Egunjobi (2005) have no economic values . Explaining further, Egunjobi states that all the work and activities which do not require financial quit are the responsibilities of women. This would explain the global call for women empowerment.There are high prospects in women empowerment. First the potentials of women will increase, resulting in building a manful nation, producing better women, better home makers, better future leaders and a better society. The contributions of females in top management positions revealed that females are up to the task. Women in leadership positions, especially in developing countries, have the responsibility and the potential to influence their society through leadership, particularly when they are enabled. Enabled women are empowered to aspire, attain and performwell in leadership positions while withal carrying out the home front roles. Women are enabled when they are formulated, exposed and economically emancipated. Throughout the ages and in all countries, women in leadership positions have wedge positively on the society. The history of mankind is replete with such women.The last century saw the emergence of great women leaders in various spheres of human endeavours, notable among who are M other Theresa of Calcutta, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Pre placementnt of Liberia and Winnie Mandela, who relentlessly battled the apartheid regime in South Africain spite of the fact that her husband was incarcerated at the time.Here in Nigeria such women include Queen Amina of Zaria, Idia of Benin, Moremi of Ile-Ife, late prof (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, the originator Director, National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and former Honorable Minister of Information and Communication, her Re-branding initiative is still fresh in our minds, the coordinator of Nigerian economy and Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs)Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Prof Mrs Grace Alele.Williams the First female Vice Chancellor in Nigeria, the Late Professor (Mrs) Jadesola Akande and even the keynote speaker of this conference, Prof. G. G. Agulanna, among others. Women from time immemorial have exhibited unparalleled ability in policy development and implementation. Education of which vocational educatio n is an aspect ashes a veritable weapon for women empowerment in all facets of life and a source of strength for national development.With vocational education, women will have greater self- fulfillment and would be able to contribute meaningfully to the social andeconomic development of their societies. Again for economic reasons women no longer roost at home. The present economic recession has turned things round. Both male and female now cooperatively maintain the home even though the man is still regarded as the head of the family especially in the Nigerian Culture. In such instance, women with vocational skills will be able to earn additional salaries and support the husband and the standard of their living will be high and they can easily survive hard times. This will make for reductions in social vices like prostitution, theft and other corrupt actsperpetrated against and by women. In a situation where there is need for empowerment, vocational skills acquisition programmes is a sure means for women learners to gain basic education and or a vocational skill. The National Open University Centre for lifelong learning vocational skills acquisition programmes are designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of students, women included, for spry employment whether in the private or public sector or be self employed. As at June, 2013, enrolment figures stand at 1066, 381 of this figure are females.These run their programmes in study centres inthe cities with the exclusion of Awa-Ijebu, Ogori and Gulak. Women of all ages deserve to be integrated into the mainstream of a national economy through training. (Olakulehin and Ojo 2006) CHALLENGES TO WOMEN EMPOWERMENT The importance of vocational education in both personal and national development cannot be over-emphasized. Such type of education is paramount towards the grooming of the citizens that would not only be innovative and productive but having acquired general education could patriotically contribute to wards the development of their respective societies.In contrast, in spite of the gain that could be sourced from vocational education, Nigeria is yet to attain the level of impressive satisfaction as far as formal vocational education is concerned. This situation could be attributed to Illiteracy, according to Olakulehin & Ojo (2006), stiff at the centre of women empowerment problems in Nigeria and that there is a obvious deluge of problems besetting the Nigerian women, all of them arise from illiteracy. Also, socio-cultural restraints such as hold parental resources, early marriages, pregnancy, childbearing, sexual harassment etc.negatively impact on women empowerment. In many societies, the education of women especially at the third level is considered unimportant since they believe girls do not normally redress back in full measure the money invested in them. Again, phantasmal practices of keeping women in purdah and the Shariah system (mostly in the Federal part of Nigeria ) hinder women from participation in education especially at the higher levels. In addition special protective measures aimed at defend women and enhancing their effective participation has turned round to work against them.For example internationalistic Labour Organization (ILO) conventions ban women from night work, underground work and peg down maximum weight to be carried by women. It also provides for maternity protection and welfare facilities at the work place. Some employers have capitalized on this to differentiate against women and spend less on training them. Added to the foregoing some have suggested that women are their own worst enemies. Some women married to wealthy men sometimes have lukewarm attitudes to education. Some women are lazy, lack proper education and are not making positive efforts to improvethemselves. exclusively these pose formidable challenge to the empowerment of women. MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED TOWARD effectual WOMEN EMPOWERMENT The hub of develo pment of any country lies on how productive and inventive its population are, for a country like ours, where women constitutes a reasonable percentage, the government, parents and men in general have obligations to ensure that women are empowered to eat up their obligations to the society and to better their life. In the light of the issues discussed above, the following recommendations are proffered.? bread and butter of vocational education should be taken seriously by the federal, utter and Local governments. This they can achieve through increase in the budgetary allocation to educational sector which will reflect in the vocational education sub-sector. ?Vocational education should be inculcated into the schools curriculum to promote human empowerment and development through vocational skill acquisition. It is a means of reducing unemployment since it is skilled oriented and employment motivated. entirely school programmes should be geared toward providing vocational skills. ?Government and other situation holders in education should embark on awareness programmes through workshops and seminars to educate girls, women, parents and general society on the benefits of vocational education for women. ?The private confederation and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) should be encouraged to participate in vocational education through funding or contributions in kind. This involvement should be seen by firms as a long term investment, and as an aspect of their corporal social responsibility to the nation. ?To empower women, federal government should provide enablingenvironment and all the necessary equipment and materials for the teaching and learning of vocational skills needed for economic enhancement in Nigeria. ?The women should shun joblessness and criminality through the glossiness of vocational spirit and acquisition of relevant skills that will launch them into greatness and economic independence. Conclusion Vocational Education has been viewed in this paper as a panacea to the endemic problem of poverty, hunger, Prostitution and other corrupttendencies, paving way for women empowerment.When women are trained, they explore opportunities in their immediate environment instead of chasing shadows and uncertainties in the urban centres. The development of Vocational Education will go a long way in creating employment, give women the luck to develop their enterprising skills, empowering them to be job creators and not job seekers and by providing them with the necessary skills and knowledge to raise their output income and wealth thereby better the incidence of prostitution, kidnapping, and other social vicesthat are prevalent among women in South-East, Nigeria.Vocational Education would also contribute to improve the image and highlight the role of women in society. REFERENCES Egunjobi, L. (2005). Women Empowerment Perspectives and Prospects. Ado-Ekiti Fountain Newspapers and Publishing Co. Ltd. Empowerment Wikipedia, the free e ncyclopedia. http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/empowerment. retrieved 17/10/2014 Fafunwa, A. B (1991), History of Education in Nigeria New edition, Ibadan NPS educational Publishers Limited. Fakes, B. B. (2005). Technical Education An Overview of the Learning Process.Capacity,building workshop for lecturers in Polytechnics and Monotechnics in Nigeria for higher competency and productivity. Education Trust Fund. Federal Office of Statistics (2006), yearly Abstract of Statistics (2006 edition) Abuja Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National Policy on Education 4th edition. Yaba-Lagos NERDC Press. Igbodalo, F (1990), Contributions of Women to National Development. Paper presented at the NAUW on Contribution of women to National Development. ILO (2004) International labour organizations information sheet on the convention on workers with family responsibilities. No. 156, 1981 (July 2004).Mbakwem, J. N and Anyanwu, O. G. (2014) Assessing soft Teaching and Learning Environment at Upper B asic Education in Imo State, Nigeria in T. A. Bolarin and G. C. Unachukwu (Eds) Education for All Progress and Challenges. Proceedings of the twenty-eighth annual congress of The Nigeria Academy of Education (pp 225-232). Lagos Toptune Educational Publishers. Mohammed, I. A. (2009), Problems and Prospects of Vocational Education in Sokoto State. Text Paper Presented at the Annual Conference of Federal College of Educaton. Gusau. Ogbuanaya, T. C. (2006). Vocational Education Training and Challenges of Human Resource Development.Nigerian Empowering the jejuneness through Technical and Vocational Education A Panacea for sustainable National Development. Journal of Professional Teachers 1(2) 207-214. Olakulehin, F. K. & Ojo, O. D. (2006). Distance Education as a Women Empowerment Strategy in Africa. Turkish Online Journal of Distance education, 7, 1, 1. Sako . R. ed (1999) Women Empowerment and Advancement Manual , Kaduna League for Democratic Women (Leads) UNDP (1997) Human Developme nt Report 1995 , New York Oxford University Press UNESCO (2006). Revitalizing Technical Vocational Education in Nigeria. 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