gender differential paper IJCRB

ijcrb.webs.com
JUNE 2011
INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS VOL 3, NO 2
nurseries and plant a variety of trees to satisfy human and non-human needs (Maye, 1994). Thus, in
many countries (developed and developing), women have championed the resistance to nonsustainable
resource exploitation. For example, Penan women and children have spent weeks on
logging blockade in Sarawak, attempting to protect what is left of the world’s oldest rainforests on
the Island of Borneo. Maye (1994) made it clear that the rate of harvesting there is clearly not
sustainable, and the rate of extinction is excessively high. Vandana Shira of India has also raised
awareness of the potential loss of genetic diversity as a result of the patenting of life forms. In
Columbia, Margarita de Botero has increased awareness of the need to protect biodiversity through
the Green University. From the foregoing, we can see that women are in the forefront of advocating
for the protection of biodiversity. Women NGOs in Nigeria, Women Community Based
Organizations (CBOs), and individuals have contributed a lot to the protection of the environment
and forests (biodiversity). In advanced countries, Collee McCrory has done a lot as regards
environment, and more specifically Late Rachel Carson of the United States raised the alarm about
the dangers of biological diversity and human health from the indiscriminate use of chemical
pesticides. It seems as if, women are push-full in the move for the protection of our ecosystems for
sustainable human development.
5. STUDY AREA
This study was carried out in Igabi local Government of Kaduna, Kaduna state. It is located on
latitude 10 0 37’ and longitude 7 0 17’E. The local government area shares boundaries with Giwa and
Zaria local government areas to Kaduna North and Kaduna South local government areas. It has a
good climatic condition with annual rainfall of about 1000mm-1500mm, per annual. It covers an
area of about 4456.59sq./km with protected population of 350,000 (FOS, 2006). The local
government comprises of three (3) tribes; Hausa, Fulani, and Gbagi people. Their main occupations
are farming, civil service, traders and so on. The area is selected for study because of the prior
knowledge of activities of women in environment protection.
The respondents in the study area are married (59.2 %) while 26.3 % are single. The involvement of
single women in environmental protection was as a result of awareness, tree planting campaign and
public enlightenment. 21 – 30 years constitute the largest (39.5 %), followed by 31 – 40 years (26.3
%) while 50 years and above range were the least (6.6 %). This implies that the group of women
with majority age limit is highly involved in environmental protection and they are active, hale and
hearty. Those above 50 years are not so much active in environmental protection because they are
old and not active. Table 4.1.1 also revealed the educational status of the respondents in which
majority (52.6 %) had secondary education while (32.9 %) had primary education and 6.6 % had
tertiary education. Lastly, 7.9 % had no formal education. This indicates that majority of the
respondents are semi-illiterates (dropout from class 3 or JSS3). 52.6 % of the respondents has 6 – 10
house hold size, followed closely by 0 – 5 household size and 16 above had the least with 7.9 % and
majority (59.2) of these respondents are Muslims while 27 % are Christians and 13 % are
traditionalists. This implies that our study area is been dominated by Muslims thus, influences
polygamy and has effect on the number of the household and this also have effect on the type of
occupation in which most of them are engaged because majority of them are farmers (52.6 %) thus
make use of family labour to work on the farm. Few are civil servants (26.3 %), business women
(13.2 %) and lastly 7.9 % of them are extension workers.
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