SUMMARY
This research have proved that Empowerment by NGOs in state is an active, multi-dimensional process which enables women to realize their full identity and power in all spheres of life. micro credit and other schemes are useful tools for the empowerment of women for poverty alleviation and a relatively new approach for developing economies to solve women’s difficulties in obtaining finance and make them more than mere “kitchen attendants”. These NGOs act as a landing ground for the landless. Their target groups are usually the poor and vulnerable women. Their main tasks are to organize these people, create awareness in them and make them development oriented.
According to findings, before the emergence of NGOs and their schemes in Edo state, women (especially those in the rural areas) were not empowered. They had little or no access to the formal employment market and they did not have the necessary funds to engage in income generating activities. In such background, this studyassessed the contributions of non-governmental organizations to women development in Edo State, Nigeria and also revealed that there is a need for behavioural changes necessary for self-sustenance, as this will discourage total dependence on Government to provide basic necessities to cushion the effects of poverty and enhance women development which could impact on urban planning and regional development initiatives. This research also revealed a combination of strategies employed by the NGOs in women development which includes: advocacy, mobilization, skill acquisition, donations, participation, partnership, peer education and networking, advancement of the right of the child, women, disabled, urban and rural poor.
From the study, it is discovered that the government of Edo have been attempting to take different steps with the aim of alleviating poverty and generally enhancing the standard of living of the people through socio-economic development. This has however been tough for government to do it alone. The voluntary participation of people have always been needed. This is because the self-participation of people help the government to bring their plans to fruition. So, the voluntary organizations help to keep pace with the government to help change the conditions of the poor feeble population. This is where COWAN as an NGO comes into play, their efforts gradually being recognized in the city.
The involvement of NGOs in development has become requisite. Donor agencies more than before prefer to identify with them than to identify with government institutions. This is because they see them as a force to identify with. NGOs have turned out to be big employers of labour, offering job opportunities to people. They have identified and paid attention to areas that were hitherto ignored by the government. There has been proliferation of NGOs and this has even led to their expansion. The study also showed that task of women political empowerment is a daunting task that cannot be left for NGOs alone. Due to women’s disadvantaged position, there is need for the government of Edo state to support initiatives that tend to pay special attention to them. There is need for the government to assist NGOs to empower women economically, politically, socially and otherwise. Women’s development has been found to be central to the goal of achieving an all-embracing, just and sustainable development.
Conclusively, the study has revealed that women NGOs like Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) have become an important part of helping to develop and empower women in Edo state.
The recognition of this fact makes these NGOs to enjoy the support of international donor agencies. The declaration of the UN in declaring 1975 -1985 as United Nations Decade for Women can never be over emphasized. This brought about global awareness of the plight of women. Also, various African government International Agencies; Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and activists, became concerned with the need to raise the socio-economic status of women through access to functional education, economic opportunities, and health facilities, among others. The number of NGO’S managed by women showed that contrary to conventional stereotyping, women have remarkable organizational and mobilization capacity, that is yet to be fully exploited by them and other agencies interested in lightening the burden of women for a balanced and sustainable national development.
