WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION

The participation of women in politics is a crucial aspect of democratic governance, as it not only enhances representation but also brings diverse perspectives to the policy making process. While many women actively engage in politics, others exhibit apathy. Studying women's participation in politics and its impact on democratic values can help assess the health of democracy by examining the representation and participation of women in decision-making process which is a key indicator to democracy. The study investigates the impacts of women's participation in politics on democratic values and examine the relationship between women's participation and representation in politics. The adopted research design for this study is the survey research design. The study used a Close-ended questionnaire to collect data from female academic staffs across five Faculties serving as the research method. Conflict theory was used to backup this study. Data collection took place in the environs of the University of Benin, Edo State. Data was collected and analysed using frequency distribution tables representing its objectives. During the course of this study, the quantitative approach was used to get data information from 120 female academic staffs. The findings obtained from this study shows that majority of the female academic staffs agreed that women's participation in politics can lead to a more representative governance, strengthening democratic institutions.

This research study examined Influence of Socio-Economic Status on Women's Participation in Adult Literacy Programmes. The sample of the study consists of 50 respondents selected through the simple random sampling technique from five different adult literacy centers in Egor Local Government Area Of Edo State. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study and the result of the study showed that income, costs of transportations, materials and fees, and financial instability restrict women access to literacy programmes. Financial barriers present a formidable obstacle to women's participation in adult literacy programmes. The study also showed that cultural norms often view women's primary role as homemakers, limiting their educational pursuit, and women with higher educational levels are more likely to seek out additional literacy training to enhance their skills for personal or professional development. On the basis of the findings, summary was made and recommendations were given, among which include; cultural barriers being addressed through awareness campaigns that are led by community leaders and influencers, there should be reduction in the cost of literacy programmes through the provision of subsidies, free materials, and transportation support, the adoption of online platforms and mobile learning tools to reach women who are unable to attend in-person classes, and literacy training should be combined with practical skills such as financial management and vocational training to increase relevance.