National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says that women and men constituted 49.2 per cent and 50.8 per cent of Nigeria’s population with a growth rate estimated at 3.2 per cent while the sex ratio remained 102 men per 100 women.
In its 2018 Statistical Report on Women and Men, NBS noted that in 2017, the population of the elderly (60+ years) was 5,542,258 and 4,392,684 for men and women respectively.
“In 2016, life expectancy for males was 47 years, 51 years for female and 49 years for both.
“The percentage of women living with HIV increased from 51.7 per cent in 2013 to 53.1 per cent in 2016, whilst that of men decreased from 48.3 per cent in 2013 to 46.9 per cent in 2016.”
Women with access to Antiretroviral Treatment increased slightly from 66.6 per cent in 2013 to 69.7 per cent in 2014, while the percentage was 69.2 and 69 per cent in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
In 2016/17, the total fertility rate was 5.8 births per woman, the adolescent fertility rate was 120 births per 1,000 women in 2016, while approximately 49.1 per cent of pregnant women had 4 or more antenatal care visits within the 12-month period 2016/2017.
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According to the same report, the use of any contraceptive methods by women currently married or in union (or their partner) was 13.4 per cent in 2016, of which only 10.8 per cent are using modern methods, while 86.6 per cent were not using any contraceptive methods.
In 2016, the maternal mortality rate was 567.5 per 100,000 live births; child mortality rate was 54 per 1,000 live births; the percentage of female registered medical doctors was below 35 per cent (34.1 for 2015/2016 and 34.6 per cent for 2017); and the percentage of female dentists was 29.5 per cent in 2015, 44.0 and 44.4 per cent in 2016 and 2017 respectively (Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria).
The literacy rate among female age 15-24 years interviewed was 59.3 per cent and 70.9 per cent for their male counterpart in 2016 (MICS5).
Available data from the Federal Ministry of Education shows that enrolment rate of school-aged girls in primary education was 48.6 per cent in 2014 which decreased to 47.4 per cent in 2015 and slightly increased to 47.5 per cent in 2016.
Also, the completion rate for girls in a primary, junior and senior secondary school in 2016 were 64.8 per cent, 38.9 per cent and 28.7 per cent respectively, showing a decreased completion rate as the student progresses.
A total of 3,318 enrolled for National Diploma in colleges of health science in 2014/15, of which 72.33 per cent are female, while 2,063 enrolled for Higher National Diploma, which the share of female was 69.17 per cent.
The percentage of female out-turn was 68.14 per cent for National Diploma and 69.08 for Higher National Diploma.
In Polytechnics, 40.10 and 40.74 per cent students enrolled were female for the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic sessions respectively, the out-turn of female students was about 40 per cent for the two periods.
Female enrolment in Nigeria Universities in 2017 was 43.1 per cent.
The percentage of women lecturers in federal colleges of education was 33.8 per cent for the 2016/2017 academic session, while the percentage of female professors in Nigerian Universities was 15.43 per cent for 2017.
Percentage of men employed in the State Civil Service from 2010 to 2015 was higher than that of women for both senior and junior positions.
On average the percentage of women employees from 2010 to 2015 was 38.16 per cent for both junior and senior positions while it was 61.84 per cent men.
Also, in federal MDAs, men dominated the civil service while women within grade level 01 – 17 plus the special grade level constituted 34.67, 35.08 and 32.79 per cent for 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Despite all efforts to promote the contribution of women in the domain of politics and decision making, women have continued to record low representation at all tiers and levels of governance although they constitute almost half of the electorate.
Findings reveal that males constituted 94.2 per cent of the members of the National Assembly between 1999 and 2015 while female participation remained low at 5.8 per cent.
At federal courts, 29.4 per cent of Judges were female while 70.6 per cent were male from 2011 – 2016.
State assemblies also record similar low participation rates for women at 5.2 per cent while men occupied 94.8 per cent of available positions from 1999 – 2015.
Between 1999 and 2015, nine per cent of local government chairpersons were females while 91 per cent were males.
Women also constituted just 5.9 per cent of Councilors compared with 94.1 per cent for men.
Rape cases have risen with percentage for girls increasing from 63.04 per cent in 2015 to 72.13 per cent in 2016 but decreased to 69.33 per cent in 2017.
“Over 90 per cent of suspects arrested for drug-related offences in 2015, 2016 and 2017 (92.7, 93.5 and 93.8 per cent) respectively were men, while women made up 7.3, 6.5 and 6.2 per cent of the arrests for the same years respectively.
Women aged 45-49 had the highest percentage (27.6 per cent) of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) compared to other age groups, while women aged 15-19 had the lowest at 12.3 per cent (MICS5).
The available data from the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) indicated that about 2 per cent of prisoners/inmates between 2012 and 2016 were female.
During the same period, prison admission for stealing was 95 per cent male and 5 per cent female; while the percentage of women admitted into prison because of trafficking was 14.6 and 14.5 per cent (for 2015 and 2016 respectively) compared to 4.5 per cent and 2.9 per cent in 2013 and 2014.
In addition, human trafficking occurred mostly in the 16-25 age group, where women constituted about 76.63 per cent of convicted persons for that crime for the years between 2013-2015.