SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMMES ON ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL WOMEN IN UDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE.
ABSTRACT
The topic of this study is Effect of Social Welfare on the Empowerment of Women in Udi local Government Area of Enugu State Governments of nowadays have a lot of responsibilities including the provision of social services. The services which the government ought to provide to Awgu rural women include: water, free health facilities, employment, empowerment, free education, to mention but a few. The provision of these is not adequate and this compelled the researcher to carryout the study. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used to gather data. The APA style of reference was used. The validity and reliability of the instrument were tested. In distributing the questionnaires, face-to-face method of distribution was used. Tabular method of analysis was used.  The findings of this study are that the social service needs of Awgu women are on health care, potable water, employment etc. The extent to which women in the area benefit from the social welfare services is small; the impact of social welfare services in the area is more of the positive influence than the negative influence. The roles of social workers will be of great importance and that one of the problems militating against the provision of social welfare services in the area is inadequate resources. The researcher recommended that government should endeavour to provide the women with those social services they need, government should expand the services provided for the rural women such as encouraging the women to participate in decision making process, empower them etc, every effort should be made to provide the women with adequate resources such as fund, trained personnel etc.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background of the Study                   
1.2    Statement of the Problem                    
1.3    Purpose of the Study                          
1.4    Research Questions                     
1.7    Significance OF THE Study                   
1.5    Scope of the Study                             
1.6    Limitations of the Study                          
1.8    Definition of Terms / Acronyms                
Reference                                        
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1    Meaning of Social Welfare Administration           
2.2    Meaning of Economic Development                   
2.3    Measurement Of Economic Development                
2.4    Obstacles of Economic Development                
2.5    Forms of Services Rendered For The Economic
Development Of Rural Women                   
2.6    The Role of Women In Economic Development       
2.7    Programmes for Social Welfare Development           
2.8    The Impact of Social Welfare On The Economic
Development Of Rural Women                 
2.9    Problems Faced Towards The Economic
Development of the Rural Women                   
2.10    Solutions towards Effective Economic
Development Of The Rural Women                
Reference                                    
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN      AND METHODOLOGY
3.1    Research Method and Design                     
3.2    Sources Of Data                               
3.3    Area Of Study                              
3.4    Method of Data Collection                   
3.5    Population of the Study                       
3.6    Sample Size                               
3.7    Instrumentation                               
3.8    Validity Of The Instrument                        
3.9    Reliability Of The Instrument                     
3.10    Method Of Data Analysis                      
Reference                                       
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA          
4.1    Data Presentation and Analysis                      
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS,    RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION  
5.1    Summary Of Findings                  
5.2    Recommendations                    
5.3    Conclusion                     
Bibliography                    
Appendix                     
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Social welfare administration is an administration and management of people that are incapacitated socially and physically in balance or less privilege. What empowerment is planned less privilege? It is a constant process of transformation. Development can also be referred to as a dynamic concept denoting a state of ceaseless charge. Hence, social welfare programmes for rural women is an articulated attempt by government of Nigeria and Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State to look into the various welfare packages provided for women in order to improve their empowerment. According to Echezona (2012) the women in the rural area form a greater part of Nigerian’s population and as such they deserve much more attention in terms of social welfare programmes provision. This means that women have roles to play towards the socio-economic and development of our nation Nigeria may be that is why the United Nations declared (1970-1980) the decade for women.
    The declaration sparked off women into engaging themselves in so many development pogramme themselves in so many empowerment programmes or activities. In Nigeria for instance there have been a lot of woman oriented programmes such as better life for rural women family. Support programme (FSP) family economics advancement programme (FEAP) and child trust fund (CTF) in Enugu state, there are some social welfare programme for rural women handed by ministry of gender to improve women children and youth welfare in the state. Most of the women oriented organizations are to tackle some of the social injustice mated out on women. Recently there are organization founded by her Excellency Hajiya Turai Umar Musa Yaradua the wife of the immediate past president of the federation struggle to combat poverty child and maternal monality including HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, encouraging strong family ties and nation building. She developed maternal newborn and child health (MNCH). This is a strategy to strengthen the health system towards realizing some aspects of the millennium development goals. She has equally channeled her energies towards mobilizing funds for the upgrading of the living standard of Nigerian mother’s children and youths and youth empowerment foundation” (WAYEF) also project towards issues relating to poverty alleviation and eradication and empowerment rural women and the encouragement of “the Nigerian civil education initiative (NGEI). This development promoted the need for this study “the effects of social welfare programmes on empowerment of rural women in Nigeria (A case study of Udi local government area) the researcher therefore want to investigate to see how far all these programmes has facilitated the empowerment programmes of Nigeria women and supply of social welfare programmes.
Also, we have NAPEP, NEEDS, and SEEDS from the past president Umaru Musa Yaradua. The immediate past president Goodluck Jonathan came up with Sure-P, You-win. Then the incumbent president came up with the trending N-Power for the alleviation of unemployment and youth restiveness.
Summarily the researcher is compelled because of her experience to examine how those welfare programmes are administered and their impacts as far as rural women are concerned especially in Udi local government area of Enugu State.
1.2    Statement of the Problem
    The researcher is concerned about the conditions of rural women. However, the various administrations over the years have thrown up social welfare programmes to help as regards the empowerment of rural women. The study examines the effect of these programmes on the economic empowerment of rural women with special reference to the rural women of Udi LGA.
The major problem which prompted the researcher to investigate on this phenomenon is the low level of education. No formal education is established especially on the female children because of the high cost of education and parents hardly afford the cost. Thereby exposing these children to various vices in the society.
    Another problem encountered in the area (Udi local government area) is poor electricity. They still make use of lamps and candles and they still live in poorly ventilated houses. Another problem is inadequate water supply there are pipe borne water and still practice subsistence farming thereby facing serious problems of poverty social decency and economics backwardness for this, the researcher is boarders with these phenomenon and want is know if these social welfare programmes are being provided for the women in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu state or not.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is to examine the social welfare programmes on the empowerment of rural weomen in Udi LGA (A Study of Selected Communities in Udi Local Government Area).
The specific objectives of the study include:
1.    To determine if there are social programmes available to rural women in the area for their economic and social empowerment within the period under review.
2.    To examine the extent to which the rural women benefit from the social welfare programmes.
3.    To determine the reaction of the rural women towards the social welfare programmes and empowerment from the government.
4.    To find out the problems militating against the administration of social welfare programmes for the economic empowerment of the rural women with special reference to Udi LGA.

1.4 Research Question
The Following Research Questions were drafted from the objective:
1.    Are social programmes available to rural women in the area for their economic and social empowerment within the period under review?
2.    What is the extent to which the rural women benefit from the social welfare programmes?
3.    What are the reactions of the rural women towards the social welfare programmes and empowerment from the government?
4.    What are the problems militating against the administration of social welfare programmes for the economic empowerment of the rural women with special reference to Udi LGA?
1.5 Significance of the Study
i.     Symbol of academic achievement: This study has a lot of significance on the since it represent a symbol of academic advancement as having contributed to the already record of research in public administration.
ii.     Management and staffs: Management and staffs of the Udi Local Government area will come to realized the need of the budgeting both problems and prospect.
iii.     Colleagues: This study shall be useful to the colleagues of the researcher and the entire students in the field public administration in future.
iv.     Certificate: This research will be very benefit for the researcher, in the sense that it will award the researcher a Diploma in Post Graduate Studies in the department of Public Administration.
1.6  Delimitation/Scope of the Study
The study is on the “effect of social welfare programmes on economic empowerment of rural women in Nigeria (A study of Selected Women of Udi Local Government Area) but due to the fact that there are many towns under this local government area twenty (21) of them have been selected using simple random sampling technique and they include Amokwe, Udi town, Obioma, Nsude, Umuabi, Nachi, Obinagu, Umuaga, Agbudu, Ngwo, Abor, Umulumgbe, Eke, Okpatu, Umuoka, Egede, Ebe, Abia, Awhum, Akpakwumenze in order to make adequate research considering the time constraint.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
    Time is the major constraint of this research study. The time allowed or allotted for the study is very short. This is a study that would have taken up to a year for a more comprehensive study.
    Finance is another constraint of the study. This study requires the researcher to visit some of the communities of Udi Local Government area. This means be set aside for transportation photocopy of date production of question and in some cases money for food if it exceeds a day etc. the researcher will extensively use commercial motorcycle to transverse to some area. Again some of the responded maybe reluctant in the disclosure of information more researcher which would lead to a more accurate assessment of the situation. Most of them are illiterate. They maybe simply suspicious of the researcher.
1.8 Definition of Terms/Acronyms
•    Social administration: It is a process of bringing community welfare through social change and the complementation of social policy decision for the total welfare of the community.
•    Social: The aspect of having to do with human being living together problems.
•    Health: It is no longer supposed to be defined in terms of oneness but rather in relation to the harmonies development of every individual personality.
•    Employment: A contract between employees and employer in which the investments made on each side of the relationship provide an incentive for both parties keep the relationship intact.
•    Gender: The term “gender” is a short and for complex but variable system of social differentiation between males and females found in every society.