Open and Distance Learning and Rural Women Empowerment for Sustainable Livelihood in South East Nigeria

Abstract

The livelihood of most rural women are dependent on informal sectors such as farming (crop cultivation, livestock rearing), trade (selling of fruits, vegetables, food stuff, cooking utensils), services (tailoring, hair dressing, road side restaurant), and other menial casual works. Most of these women lack basic modern skills in their daily activities which stems from lack of proper formal education. It is in this regard that Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system has become essential as a good alternative for formal education due to its simplicity, affordability and accessibility even to the inaccessible and remote rural areas. Education being the bedrock of human development is the greatest tool which can uplift these women from their demeaning existence to a meaningful life. Right application of ODL will not only improve the economic conditions of these women but also that of the entire region. This work studies the role of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in empowering sustainable livelihoods of rural women in south east Nigeria. The study is carried out in National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) study centres located in Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi States. Primary data are collected through questionnaire administered to respondents and analyzed using simple statistics, while secondary data are collected from different sources such as published books, journal articles, websites and government gazette.