Title: Enhancing good governance for Africa's development: a socio-legal perspective on women empowerment

Authors: Ibibia Lucky Worika; Uzuazo Etemire

Addresses: Faculty of Law, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria ' Faculty of Law, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: For many decades now, the issue of ensuring good governance as a critical means for driving development in society has been on the front burners of global discourse. Naturally, this issue has also been a topical one in Africa, especially considering the continent's history of crisis of governance and the resulting severe developmental challenges. This paper argues that women empowerment - capable of determining the prosperity of any society - is an essential component of good governance, and that to engender sustainable development in the continent African societies would need to take real steps towards deepening good governance through women empowerment. In this light, from a socio-legal perspective, this paper pays particular attention to the status of women empowerment in Africa, existing challenges in this regard and how they may be surmounted to ensure good governance and development in the continent.

Keywords: Africa; good governance; women roles; female empowerment; socio-legal perspective; sustainable development; sustainability; developing countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSDS.2016.079904

International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2016 Vol.1 No.4, pp.327 - 348

Received: 30 Oct 2015
Accepted: 14 Apr 2016
Published online: 20 Oct 2016 *

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