Dr. Zainab Marwa
By Shade Damiro
The founder of Aspire Women Forum, a non-governmental organization, Dr. Zainab Marwa has described systemic gender inequality as one of the major causes of poverty among women in Nigeria especially in North Central part of the country.
Dr. Zainab who stated this in her paper titled “The Intersectionality of Poverty and Gender in North Central Nigeria” presented as the guest lecturer at the 9th Distinguished Public Lecture of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi state, regretted that despite several intervention programmes, poverty still persists among women.
“Imagine a land where resources are plentiful, yet the hands that toil hardest remain the most deprived. In the heart of North Central Nigeria, this paradox is the daily reality for millions of women. While the region is celebrated for its rich cultural heritage and abundant resources, its women are caught in the relentless grip of poverty working tirelessly but rarely reaping the rewards of their labour. These women don’t just face economic hardship; they endure a web of systemic inequalities that restrict their progress, dim their potential, and amplify their struggles”, she bemoaned.
“According to the National Bureau of Statistics (2020), 70% of Nigerians below the poverty line are women. North Central Nigeria has a 57.3% poverty rate among women, versus 45.5% among men. Women face education barriers, with 59.3% literacy rate compared to 74.4% for men (UNDP, 2020). Only 21% of women engage in paid employment (ILO, 2020). These statistics represent restricted opportunities and lost potential”, she stated further.
While contextualizing the challenges that make it difficult for women to break the cycle of poverty, Dr. Zainab Marwa noted that “in predominantly Muslim areas, cultural norms may prioritise early marriage for girls, which can limit their educational opportunities. A woman from a rural community may face significant barriers to owning land due to traditional inheritance laws that favour male relatives.
“In urban settings, women from low-income backgrounds may struggle to access quality healthcare. Intersectionality encourages us to consider how gender, along with factors like ethnicity, marital status, and location, affects a woman’s experience of poverty. For example, a widowed woman in a rural area faces different challenges than a married woman in a city, impacting their access to resources and risk of violence.”
She said intersectionality is a strong reminder that gender and poverty do not exist in isolation but rather intersect in ways that amplify women’s vulnerabilities.
According to her, “this intersection of challenges goes beyond the day-to-day struggles for survival. Women in North Central Nigeria experience the compounding effects of poverty in deeply gendered ways facing not only economic exclusion but also cultural marginalisation that diminishes their voices and overlooks their contributions. Despite their efforts, women remain largely invisible in the economic and social fabric of their communities, perpetuating cycles of both poverty and disempowerment.
“Women in North Central Nigeria, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, confront simultaneous barriers to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Contextual factors, including cultural norms and patriarchal systems, perpetuate inequality. Addressing these issues necessitates a deep understanding of power dynamics, and recognizing the potential of women’s empowerment initiatives to effect change.”
To address these challenges, she said there must be urgent focus on actionable implementation of effective anti-poverty programmes that should adopt a multi-faceted approach to create lasting change.
This, she said must include: economic empowerment; vocational training and skills development programmes; community-based social protection initiatives; improved access to healthcare; education and awareness programmes; deployment of technology as a powerful tool for expanding financial inclusion and access to essential services.
“By implementing these interconnected strategies, we can create a supportive ecosystem that empowers women, enabling them to break free from the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities”, she added.
