The Gender Truth Journal

The The Investigation of the Drivers of Gender Inequality in Developed and Developing Countries

2026-02-02T09:16:16+00:00

Gender inequality continues to pose significant challenges to inclusive development, undermining social, economic, and health progress across countries. This paper examines the drivers of gender inequality across 15 developed and 54 developing countries over the period 2000–2024, with the primary aim of analysing how socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related factors influence the Gender Inequality Index (GII). Using annual panel data, the study employs dynamic panel methods, including Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS), Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSEs), and Driscoll–Kraay corrections, to account for cross-sectional dependence, slope heterogeneity, and non-stationarity. The model specifies GII as a function of education
gaps, labour-force participation and employment disparities, wage and salaried-worker gaps, public health spending, infant mortality, immunization coverage, GDP per capita, and urbanization. The results reveal that in developed countries, gender inequality is significantly aggravated by wider education and employment gaps, larger labourforce participation and wage disparities, higher infant mortality, and rapid urban growth, whereas higher GDP per capita and broader immunization coverage mitigate inequality. In developing countries, the education gap, labour-force gap, wage gap, and infant mortality emerge as strong positive drivers of inequality, while GDP per capita, increased public health expenditure, and urbanization contribute
to reducing it; the impact of immunization is weak and mixed, and the employment gap shows estimator-dependent significance. The findings underscore that although certain determinants are common across countries, their effects vary in intensity depending on the level of development. The study concludes that targeted interventions such as closing educational and employment disparities, formalizing labour markets, improving job quality, and strengthening health systems through sustainable financing are essential to narrowing gender gaps. The contribution of this paper lies in providing comparative empirical evidence that deepens the understanding of the context-specific dynamics of gender inequality and in proposing multi-dimensional policy frameworks relevant to both developed and developing economies.

The Place of Women in the Administrative and Diplomatic System of Central Africa (La Place de la Femme Dans le Dispositif Administratif et Diplomatique d’Afrique Centrale)

2026-02-02T11:55:25+00:00

This study analyzes the place that community institutions in the Central African sub-region grant to women. The objective is to urge political decision-makers in this sub-region to strengthen the involvement of women in the community, administrative, and diplomatic systems. The exploitation of a variety of primary and secondary sources, in light of constructivist theory, in a systemic approach that assumes that all parts of the work are interrelated, was necessary to understand the evolution of women’s integration in sub-regional institutions. The findings of this study show that women have long experienced marginalization
within community institutions, due to their late schooling and many other prejudices. This explains the limited number of women capable of working in the administration of the community institution. However, the promotion of women’s political rights under the aegis of the UN, since the 1990s, has contributed substantially to the integration of women in all sub-regional activities. This justifies the fact that, during the creation of CEMAC, women were considered within the institution.

Résumé
Cette étude analyse la place que les institutions communautaires de la sous-région d’Afrique centrale accordent à la femme. L’objectif est d’exhorter les décideurs politiques de cette sous-région à renforcer l’implication de la femme dans le dispositif administratif et diplomatique communautaire. L’exploitation d’une variété de sources primaires et secondaires, à la lumière de la théorie constructiviste, dans une démarche systémique qui suppose que toutes les parties du travail soient en interrelation, a été nécessaire pour comprendre l’évolution de l’insertion de la femme dans les institutions sous-régionales. Ainsi, il ressort de cette étude que la gent féminine a longtemps connu une marginalisation au sein des institutions communautaires, à cause de sa
scolarisation tardive et de nombreux autres préjugés. Cela explique le nombre limité des femmes capables de travailler dans les administrations de l’institution communautaire. Cependant, la promotion des droits politiques de la femme sous l’égide de l’ONU, depuis la décennie 1990, contribue substantiellement à l’intégration de la femme dans toutes les activités sous-régionales. Ce qui justifie le fait que, lors de la création de la CEMAC, la femme connaît une considération dans l’institution.

Women in Politics in Osun State, Nigeria: Challenges and Pathways to Inclusive Governance

2026-02-02T12:15:06+00:00

This study investigates the factors constraining women’s participation in politics in Osun State, Nigeria, and explores strategies for enhancing their involvement in politics. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population for the study comprised all eligible voters in Osun State, while the sample consisted of 600 respondents. The instrument used for data collection was titled Women’s Participation in Politics in Osun State Questionnaire (WPPOS). The data obtained were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The findings revealed that the major barriers to women’s participation in politics in
Osun State include violence and thuggery during elections (93%), the cost of vying for political posts (91%), family responsibilities (89%), lack of financial support (87%), unemployment and poverty (83%), and the frequent night meetings of politicians (78%). Suggested pathways to inclusion include financial assistance and support for female aspirants (81%), educating and sensitizing women on the importance of political participation (76%), enactment and enforcement of laws against discriminatory practices (75%), and reduction of illiteracy levels among women (70%). The study concludes that addressing socio-economic and cultural constraints will enhance the political participation of women and promote inclusive governance in Nigeria.

Who is a Feminist? What Nigerians Say

2026-02-02T12:37:24+00:00

Feminists have been fighting for gender equality for over 100 years, and feminism has gained significant attention all over the world. Yet the word feminist is not only controversial but also comes with several negative connotations. It is a word not many men want to hear, and even women do not want to be identified with because of the negative stereotypes and misconceptions associated with feminists. For example, a 2018 YouGov poll in the UK with a sample size of 2010 adults in Great Britain found that eight out of ten people who participated in the survey agreed that men and women should be treated equally in every way, but still did not want to be identified as feminists. In Germany, only 8percent of women, when asked if they were feminist, said yes. This makes one ponder the problem with the word feminist, and whether the issue of people distancing themselves from the word is the same across the world. This study’s primary aim is to gain insight on Nigerian’s interpretation of who a feminist is. It
will determine whether Nigerians’ understanding of feminism aligns with the dictionary definition of the term and what causes the negative labels that make Nigerians (men and women) avoid the term or prefer not to be identified as a feminist. Through an online survey where over 250 Nigerians responded to a questionnaire, this study revealed Nigerians’ idea of feminism and who a feminist is. While the majority (85percent) of the respondents support equal rights and opportunities for women and men, close to 50 percent of the respondents avoid being called a feminist and do not identify as feminists. The respondents see feminism as alien and associate it with the westernization of Nigerian culture. To 85 percent of the respondents, feminists are generally
bitter and uncontrollable women who deviate from the cultures and traditions of the country. In view of the findings above, this paper then recommends a reorientation of Nigerian men and women for a better understanding of feminism and who a feminist is. Proper education about the traditional idea behind feminism would no doubt help in changing the negative labels of a feminist as an alien, deviant, bitter, aggressive, and uncontrollable woman who cannot live under/with a man. Feminists aim to primarily advocate equal rights for men and women, and do not deserve negative labels under the guise of culture and religion.The women feminists not properly informed about feminism should be enlightened and not condemned.

Inclusive Technology and Gender Equity: Enhancing Community Participation to Curb Youth Restiveness in Marginalised Areas

2026-02-02T15:37:47+00:00

Youth restiveness remains a persistent challenge in marginalised communities across Nigeria, often fuelled by unemployment, social exclusion, and limited avenues for civic engagement. While community participation has been widely recognised as a critical mechanism for mitigating this phenomenon, the exclusion of women from digital spaces significantly undermines the inclusiveness and effectiveness of such interventions. This study explores the intersection of gender, technology, and community participation in addressing youth restiveness, with a particular focus on the impact of the digital gender gap on collective community responses. Anchored in Participatory Communication Theory and Gender and Technology Theory, the study adopts a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative survey data (N = 300) with qualitative insights from focus group discussions (n = 24) and key informant interviews (n = 6) across selected communities in Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Findings reveal a significant gender disparity in digital access and participation, with only 46% of women reporting regular use of
mobile internet compared to 78% of men. The exclusion of women from digital platforms limited their participation in community-led peace and youth engagement initiatives. The study concludes that bridging the digital gender gap enhances civic inclusion, strengthens local peacebuilding efforts, and improves the sustainability of youthfocused development strategies. It recommends the implementation of gender-sensitive digital inclusion policies, expanded digital literacy training for women, and equitable access to affordable digital tools as part of broader community development and youth engagement frameworks.

Gender Dynamics in Entrepreneurship Among Women and Men Grocery Sellers:

2026-02-02T13:07:19+00:00

The study examines the gender aspects of entrepreneurship among the small-scale grocery sellers at the Obafemi Awolowo University Campus Central Market, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. In-depth interviews were held using qualitative methods, where ten entrepreneurs (five men and five women) were interviewed, and the data were analyzed using Atlas.Ti. The study examines motivations, barriers, and coping mechanisms, and specifically the differences in the experiences of men and women. The findings of the study show that men and women are attracted to grocery entrepreneurship by facilitating factors like family support, ease of entry, and the likelihood of immediate profit. However, women experience different obstacles, such as greater obstacles to formal credit, socio-cultural pressures, and gender biases, which complicate their preparation to merge business and household life. Men, however, tend to have broader access to financial and social resources but must face regulatory issues and some discrimination in the shape of slight acts of consumer bias. In both categories, Informal savings plans, cooperative
lending, and community networks were also used as survival strategies. The study highlights how entrepreneurship in the Nigerian informal sector has been influenced by not only the economic factors but also cultural and institutional pressures. It concludes that to facilitate equity and enhance the sustainability of local enterprise, inclusive financial efforts, supportive policies, and institutional reforms are needed.

Feminism Misread:

2026-02-02T15:00:17+00:00

Hostile readings of feminism recast a movement for gender equality as a threat to cultural order. This article theorises ideological distortion as the systematic appropriation of feminist language while neutralising its transformative content. Using a comparative lens on Nigeria and India, it identifies three recurrent mechanisms: reframing (religious hermeneutics that substitute equality with complementarity), cooptation (state, public-health, and educational bureaucracies that deploy feminist vocabulary to extend surveillance and control), and filtration (platform, curricular, and media systems that permit circulation only when discourse aligns with dominant ideology). Empirically, Nigerian opposition concentrates among younger, educated urban men facing status anxiety who mobilise customary law and Islamic jurisprudence to delegitimise feminist demands, whereas Indian resistance is diffuse and institutional—Hindu-nationalist and bureaucratic actors accommodate feminist slogans while constraining embodied autonomy, especially around reproduction and maternal health. Across both sites, gender stereotypes, nationalist narratives, and religious authority operate as discursive gatekeepers that render feminism visible yet toothless. We propose a transferable analytic matrix - defence mechanisms, ideological justifications, institutional manifestations, public discourse effects, and impacts on women’s agency to explain how meaning itself becomes the battleground between liberation and control. The study links threat perception and hegemonic maintenance to sociotechnical infrastructures of discourse, clarifying why distortions persist despite expanded digital visibility. Normatively, it argues for counter-hermeneutics grounded in indigenous and subaltern epistemologies, intersectional coalition building that resists competitive victimhood, and accountability frameworks that audit state and platform practices for “appropriative compliance” (the use of feminist language to entrench patriarchy). By mapping how feminist claims are recoded within religious, nationalist, and bureaucratic grammars, the article reframes “feminism misread” as a predictable product of power rather than a misunderstanding and delineates strategic pathways to re-secure semantic autonomy, institutional leverage, and material gains for gender justice.

An Assessment of Geo-Political Representation of Women in the 2023 Elections in Nigeria:

2026-02-02T15:24:21+00:00

Ethnic diversity and gender equity are critical dimensions of inclusive democratic governance. Political participation of women in Nigeria remains disproportionately low, with significant variations influenced by ethnicity. This study examines the ethnic representation of women in Nigerian politics, using both primary and secondary data. The research content analyzes quantitative data from secondary data obtained from the Independent Electoral Commission and research literature on women’s participation in politics across the six zones. The findings reveal that ethnic identity significantly influences women’s access to political opportunities, with women from the North West and North East groups facing compounded challenges due to cultural expectations, religious expectations, financial constraints, and limited political networks. Those involved are mostly not at the same level of education as compared with females from the South-west, South-east, and South-south. The North Central provided profound evidence for this study due to its mixed ethnic and cultural heritage. There are more female contestants in the North Central when compared to other Northern Zones. The study finds that women who win elections in Nigeria are above 50 years of age, who have demonstrated proven political and strong financial stands, which align with the elite theory. Though the research revealed that religion is not one of the major factors influencing women’s participation in politics in Southern Zones. Also, 28 of the contestants at the senatorial level have degrees or attended higher education. Worthy of note is the South East, which has 3 PhD degree candidates. Generally, South-south has proven to have encouraged female contestants at all levels, considering the
fact that 33 female contestants from the age of 35 years and above contested, when compared to other geopolitical zones.

The Influence of Parental Factors on Gender Performance of Lower Primary School Children

2026-02-03T09:28:32+00:00

This study examines the influence of parental factors on gender differences in academic performance among lower primary school children. Guided by a descriptive survey research design, the study examined how Parent involvement in school activities, Parent socioeconomic status, Parent educational background, and Parenting style relate to the performance of lower primary school pupils. A sample of pupils and their parents was selected using multi-stage sampling techniques, while data were collected through structured questionnaires and school records. Descriptive statistics and inferential tests were employed to analyse the relationships between variables. Findings from the results show that parent involvement in school activities is the main factor that influences the academic performance of lower primary school pupils. The study concludes that Parental involvement positively influences pupils’ academic performance by equipping parents with the skills to support learning at home. It recommends targeted parental sensitisation on the importance of educational support for children, and school-home collaboration strategies to narrow early gender achievement gaps.

Assessing the Impact of Teenage Pregnancy in Girl-Child Education

2026-02-03T09:42:23+00:00

This research critically investigates the implications of teenage pregnancy on the educational development of the girl-child in Mayo-Dassa, Jalingo LGA, Taraba State, with a particular focus on the socio-cultural and economic dimensions that foster early motherhood. Teenage pregnancy continues to serve as a significant impediment to academic progression, exacerbating gender disparities and curtailing the life prospects of adolescent girls. Grounded in Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977), the study explores how environmental and social influences shape adolescent reproductive choices; Feminist Theory (Butler, 1990) is employed to interrogate the patriarchal systems that marginalise female educational access, while Human Capital Theory (Schultz, 1961) is utilised to elucidate the long-term economic repercussions of interrupted education among teenage mothers. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the study synthesises data from in-depth interviews, policy analyses, and case narratives to
capture the lived realities of affected individuals. Preliminary findings reveal a confluence of poverty, entrenched gender norms, cultural expectations, and limited access to reproductive health education as key drivers of early pregnancy, which in turn disrupt educational trajectories. Further exacerbating the problem are social exclusion, economic hardship, and institutional barriers, such as restrictive school policies. The theoretical framework underscores the interplay of social conditioning, systemic inequality, and economic disenfranchisement in shaping educational outcomes. The study advocates for comprehensive, context-specific interventions, ranging from gender-responsive educational reforms and youth empowerment programs to accessible sexual and reproductive health services. By promoting inclusive policy frameworks and supportive learning environments, this research aims to inform strategies that safeguard educational opportunities for teenage mothers and advance broader goals of gender equity and sustainable community development.

He Who Says Organisation Says Oligarchy and She Who Says Gender Says Woman: The Quest for Men’s Interest in Gender Studies

2026-02-03T10:44:36+00:00

This paper interrogates the gynocentric orientation of gender studies, arguing that its prevailing focus on women’s experiences has produced a harmful “single story” that marginalises male-specific burdens and diverse masculinities. Drawing on Robert Michels’s Iron Law of Oligarchy and critiques of exclusionary narratives, the study posits that the field frequently narrows the expansive concept of “gender” to exclusively denote “woman”. Employing a critical-analytical approach guided by the intersectionality framework, the research synthesises theoretical literature and lived-experience accounts to expose exclusionary practices. Our analysis demonstrates how this women-centred focus systematically occludes the study of diverse masculinities and male suffering, often relying on a reductive narrative that frames men primarily as oppressors and women as victims. The
paper specifically highlights unique male burdens—such as elevated occupational risk, social role strain, suppressed emotional expression, and poorer help-seeking behaviour—that remain largely unexamined in mainstream scholarship. Furthermore, we show that formal and informal exclusionary practices within academic and activist communities discourage men from participating as researchers and interlocutors, thereby reinforcing narrow gynocentric epistemological boundaries. The conclusion is that a genuinely intersectional and reoriented gender studies, one that actively incorporates men’s
perspectives and experiences, is crucial to strengthening the field’s explanatory power, reducing harmful single-story framings, and advancing collective strategies to address gendered injustices affecting all people.