Oil Activities, Unsustainable Environment and the Combative Reactionism of Women in the Niger Delta

Citation:

Emuedo, Crosdel O., and Okeoghene A. Emuedo. 2014. “Oil Activities, Unsustainable Environment and the Combative Reactionism of Women in the Niger Delta.” African Journal of Political Science and International Relations 8 (1): 1–9. doi:10.5897/AJPSIR12.031.

Authors: Crosdel O. Emuedo, Okeoghene A. Emuedo

Abstract:

The Niger Delta is made up mainly of rural communities with the majority of people depending mostly on fishing and farming for their livelihoods. The traditional division of labour gives the Niger Delta women primary responsibility for providing for and managing the sustenance of the family household. Women depend mainly on the environment to eke out a living as they have little access to control over land, education and skilled work. Years of oil exploration activities with frequent oil spillages have led to severe environmental degradation with resultant destruction of farmlands and aquatic flora and fauna. This has placed extra burden on women in the Niger Delta, as they have to strive even harder to meet their daily needs. In addition, women are also the least to be hired by the oil companies in the Niger Delta. Women thus, suffer a discrepant impoverishment that deflates their status vis-a-vis men. The effect of the environment on the women of the degraded Niger Delta communities includes a high level of poverty and reduction in economic activities.

Keywords: oil activities, women's reaction, Niger Delta

Topics: Civil Society, Economies, Poverty, Environment, Extractive Industries, Gender, Women, Gender Roles, Households, Livelihoods Regions: Africa, West Africa Countries: Nigeria

Year: 2014