Contained in:
Book Chapter

Adult Learning and Education for Poverty Alleviation in Africa. Challenges and Opportunities for Women

  • Stella Chioma Nwizu
  • Mejai Bola M. Avoseh

This chapter examines the contributions of Adult Learning and Education (ALE) towards empowerment and poverty reduction amongst women in Africa. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasise the need for countries of the world to ensure that poverty in all its forms is ended everywhere. SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 especially connect to the focus of this chapter. Despite the implementation of various programmes by African governments towards SDGs attainment, a substantial number of African women still live in poverty in many countries. ALE as an instrument for poverty alleviation has the potentials to provide inclusive and equitable educational opportunities for women. However, ALE in its efforts to empower women for development is confronted with numerous challenges. The chapter highlights the opportunities provided by ALE in facilitating poverty alleviation and promoting active citizenship among African women. The chapter concludes with a brief acknowledgement of the role of Lalage Bown in the history of women empowerment in Africa.

  • Keywords:
  • Adult Education,
  • Adult Learning,
  • Poverty Alleviation,
  • Women’s Empowerment,
+ Show More

Stella Chioma Nwizu

University of Nigeria, Nigeria - ORCID: 0000-0001-8360-1220

Mejai Bola M. Avoseh

University of South Dakota, United States - ORCID: 0000-0003-1463-9297

  1. Avoseh, Mejai B.M. 1999a. “Literacy, Education, and the Women’s Question in Nigeria.” Asian Journal of Women’s Studies 5 (4): 91-99.
  2. Avoseh, Mejai B.M. 1999b. “Opening Adult Education: Women’s Empowerment in Namibia.” Pan-Commonwealth Forum 1:1-6. <https://oasis.col.org/items/6d26150e-4fc8-4b4f-9caa-b6ff6ea6fdfd> (2023-07-01).
  3. Borgen Project. 2021. “The Steady Rise of Female Literacy in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Borgen Magazine. <https://www.borgenmagazine.com/female-literacy-in-sub-saharan-africa/> (2023-07-01).
  4. Bown, Lalage. 1981. “History and Adult Education.” In An Introduction to the Study of Adult Education, edited by L. Bown, and J.T. Okedara, 159-67. Dacca: The University Press Limited.
  5. Chant, Sylvia. 2011. “The Links Between Gender and Poverty Are Over-simplified and Under-problematised. A Time of Economic Crisis is an Opportune Moment to Re-think the ‘Feminisation of Poverty’ and Address the ‘Feminisation of Responsibility’.” 10 March, 2011. <https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/gender-poverty-links> (2023-07-01).
  6. Ebuara, Victor O., Ozurumba, C.N., and Lucy A. Udida. 2006. “Non-formal Education and the Impact on the Transformation of Rural Poverty in Nigeria.” Journal of the Nigerian National Council of Adult Education 12: 86-93.
  7. Freire, Paulo. 2018 (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. 50th Anniversary Edition. New York-London-Oxford-New Delhi-Sydney: Bloomsbury Academic.
  8. Freire, Paulo, and Donaldo Macedo. 1987. Literacy. Reading the Word and the World. South Hadley, MA: Bergin & Garvey Publishers Inc.
  9. Hamilton, Robert. 2022. “Adult Educator. Advocate for the Right for Access to Education, Women’s Literacy and Decolonisation.” CR&DALL. 13 January, 2022. <https://cradall.org/content/adult-educator-advocate-right-access-education-women%E2%80%99s-literacy-and-decolonisation> (2023-07-01).
  10. ICAE. 2022. The ICAE Spotlight Report for CONFINTEA VII (2022). Adult Learning and Education. Because the Future Cannot Wait, prepared and edited by T. Ireland. Belgrade: International Council for Adult Education.
  11. Mauch, Werner. 2014. “Education for Sustainable Development in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning.” Background Paper for the Final Report 2014, ‘Celebrating a United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development’. Hamburg: UIL.
  12. McFerson, Hazel M. 2010. “Poverty among Women in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Review of Selected Issues.” Journal of International Women’s Studies 11 (4): 52-56.
  13. National Bureau of Statistics. 2012. Annual Abstract of Statistics, 2012. <https://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/pdfuploads/annual_abstract_2012.pdf> (2023-07-01).
  14. National Bureau of Statistics. 2022. “Highlights of the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index Survey.” 17 November, 2022. <https://nigerianstat.gov.ng/news/78> (2023-07-01).
  15. Oriahi, C.I., and A.O. Aitufe. 2010. “Education for the Eradication of Poverty.” Current Research Journal of Social Sciences 2 (6): 306-10.
  16. Oseni, Michael, Ogunlade, Olabamiji, Oyetunji, Oyelami I.O., and Michael R. Sanni. 2012. “Groping in the Dark (Poverty). The Nigerian Experience.” European Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 17 (1): 831-46.
  17. Peshi, C.M. 2004. “Women Literacy Programmes. Basic Literacy and Beyond.” Journal of International Gender Studies 1: 75-82.
  18. Patrick, John. M. 2014. “Towards Alleviating Poverty and Empowering the Urban Indigenous Poor People in Nigeria. Strategy for Attaining the Millennium Development Goals.” Journal of the Nigerian National Council for Adult Education 12: 145-55.
  19. Statista. 2020. “Female Adult Literacy Rate in West Africa in 2018, by Country.” <https://www.statista.com/statistics/1122662/female-adult-literacy-rate-in-west-africa-by-country/> (2023-07-01).
  20. UN. 2015. Sustainable Development Goals. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. <https://sdgs.un.org/goals> (2023-07-01).
  21. UN. 2020. “COVID-19 is Driving Women and Girls Deeper into Poverty.” <https://data.unwomen.org/features/covid-19-driving-women-and-girls-deeper-poverty> (2023-07-01).
  22. UN. 2022. “International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.” <https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-for-eradicating-poverty> (2023-07-01).
  23. UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). 1990. Human Development Report 1990. New York-Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  24. UNESCO. 1996. Promotion of Equal Access of Girls and Women to Technical and Vocational Education. Paris: United Nations. <https://unevoc.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/pubs/Studies-07e.pdf> (2023-07-01).
  25. UNESCO. 2009. CONFINTEA VI: The Belém Framework for Action. Harnessing the Power and Potential of Adult Learning and Education for a Viable Future. Hamburg: UIL. <https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000187789> (2023-07-01).
  26. UNESCO. 2014. Literacy and Education for Sustainable Development and Women’s Empowerment. Hamburg: UIL. <https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000230162> (2023-07-01).
  27. UNESCO. 2022a. 5th Global Report on Adult Learning and Education. Citizenship Education: Empowering Adults for Change. Hamburg: UIL. <https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381666.locale=en> (2023-07-01).
  28. UNESCO. 2022b. CONFINTEA VII. Marrakech Framework for Action: Harnessing the Transformational Power of Adult Learning and Education. Hamburg: UIL. <https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000382306> (2023-07-01).
  29. UNESCO and UNICEF. 2005. Girls’ Education and Training of Women and the Girl-child. Online Discussion for the Review of Beijing+10. <https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000139037> (2023-07-01).
  30. USAID. 2010. “Nigeria Economic Impact Assessment.” <www.usaid.gov> (2023-07-01).
  31. World Bank. 2022a. “Fact Sheet. An Adjustment to Global Poverty Lines.” <https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/factsheet/2022/05/02/fact-sheet-an-adjustment-to-global-poverty-lines> (2023-07-01).
  32. World Bank. 2022b. “Deep Structural Reforms Guided by Evidence Are Urgently Needed to Lift Millions of Nigerians Out of Poverty, says New World Bank Report.” <https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/03/21/afw-deep-structural-reforms-guided-by-evidence-are-urgently-needed-to-lift-millions-of-nigerians-out-of-poverty> (2023-07-01).
PDF
  • Publication Year: 2023
  • Pages: 67-77
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
  • © 2023 Author(s)

XML
  • Publication Year: 2023
  • Content License: CC BY 4.0
  • © 2023 Author(s)

Chapter Information

Chapter Title

Adult Learning and Education for Poverty Alleviation in Africa. Challenges and Opportunities for Women

Authors

Stella Chioma Nwizu, Mejai Bola M. Avoseh

Language

English

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-0253-4.10

Peer Reviewed

Publication Year

2023

Copyright Information

© 2023 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Bibliographic Information

Book Title

Adult Education and Social Justice: International Perspectives

Editors

Maria Slowey, Heribert Hinzen, Michael Omolewa, Michael Osborne

Peer Reviewed

Number of Pages

324

Publication Year

2023

Copyright Information

© 2023 Author(s)

Content License

CC BY 4.0

Metadata License

CC0 1.0

Publisher Name

Firenze University Press

DOI

10.36253/979-12-215-0253-4

ISBN Print

979-12-215-0252-7

eISBN (pdf)

979-12-215-0253-4

eISBN (xml)

979-12-215-0254-1

Series Title

Studies on Adult Learning and Education

Series ISSN

2704-596X

Series E-ISSN

2704-5781

252

Fulltext
downloads

238

Views

Export Citation

1,342

Open Access Books

in the Catalogue

2,222

Book Chapters

3,790,127

Fulltext
downloads

4,409

Authors

from 922 Research Institutions

of 65 Nations

64

scientific boards

from 348 Research Institutions

of 43 Nations

1,248

Referees

from 381 Research Institutions

of 38 Nations