Overview

Original Research

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: A SOCIOLOGICAL PANACEA TO ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CRISES IN GLOBAL TURBULENT ERA

ROTIMI ODUDELE 1, KEHINDE OLUWATOYIN ADABEMBE 2, ADEDEJI MATTHEW ADEDAYO 3, ENOCK OLUWADARE AJIBADE 4, FAWZIYAH ABIMBOLA BELO 5, EZEKIEL KAYODE IDOWU 6, and MAYOWA CHRISTOPHER OJO 7.

Vol 20, No 01 ( 2025 )   |  DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14598740   |   Author Affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Liberal Arts, School of Humanities, College of Education, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 1; (PhD), Lecturer, Department of Liberal Arts, School of Humanities, College of Education, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti. Ekiti State, Nigeria 2; Lecturer, Department of Peace and Security Studies, School of Social Sciences, College of Social and Management Sciences, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti. Ekiti State, Nigeria 3; (PhD), Department of Religious Studies, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 4; (PhD), Department of Educational Foundations and Management, School of Multidisciplinary Studies, College of Education, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 5; (PhD), Department of Educational Foundations and Management, School of Multidisciplinary Studies, College of Education, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 6; Department of Liberal Arts, School of Humanities, College of Education, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 7.   |   Licensing: CC 4.0   |   Pg no: 27-38   |   Published on: 03-01-2025

Abstract

Due to the prevalence of ethno-religious crises in modern times, everyone feels uncomfortable in Nigeria. The United Nations (UN) established the seventeenth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to guarantee a better and sustainable future. Gender equality is the fifth of these goals. Gender roles must be equal for there to be gender equality. Based on this context, the study looked at how women's empowerment and gender equality may solve Nigeria's ethno-religious problems. The significance of gender equality, women's empowerment, and the ethno - religious crises in Nigeria were thus conceptualized in this study. The paper also determined how the UNDP's gender equality agenda has been used to facilitate women's participation in nation-building; both qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted in this research, and description approaches were used for data analysis. Additionally, the paper identified the causes of ethno - religious crises and their impacts on women's empowerment. The study's conclusions revealed that ethno-religious conflicts had crept into the nation's corners, impeding the advancement of women. The study also showed that women in Nigeria have been marginalized in the social, religious, and political arenas and that gender roles continue to play a significant role in influencing almost every area of Nigerian life, even in the twenty-first century. The article concludes that since women are typically recognized for being inherently non-violent, peaceful, and coordinated, they must be allowed to hold leadership positions to combat these ills. Consequently, the nation's desired peace and togetherness will be achieved by elevating and putting women in leadership positions.

Keywords

Gender, Equality, Women, Empowerment, Ethno-Religious, Crises.