The Role of Women in the Development of Ode-Ondo, Nigeria, 1960-1999

Abstract

The paper examines the role of women in the socio-economic development from 1960 to 1999, focusing on informal
and formal socio-economic activities and variables. The role of women experiences a paradigm shift from that of the
colonial to the post-colonial period. In the post-colonial period, men were seen as the major movers and sustainers
of socio-economic development. In contrast, women are seen as caregivers within the domestic domain with little or
no impact on the socioeconomic activities in the public domain. The study examines how women struggled in OdeOndo and their coping mechanisms in a male-dominated society. The paper provides historical analyses of the roles
played by women in socio-economic development and also explains how women have struggled in Ode-Ondo and the
coping mechanisms in a male-dominated society. This study relies on both primary and secondary sources, which
were collected from oral interviews, archives, libraries and visits to historical sites. The paper examines that in spite
of Nigerian independence, the level of Ode-Ondo women’s subordination, relegation, and exploitation have not been
significantly reduced, and women are seen as non-active actors in the realization of socio-economic sustainable
development. Moreover, As a result, women face multiple challenges of limited access to resources, gender inequality
within a male-dominated Ode-Ondo society, and a wide educational gap between males and females, which limits
women's capacity for higher income but doubled burdens and responsibilities for Ode-Ondo women as a result of
men’s migration to city centres.