Gender Inequality , Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development in Nigeria : Lessons from the Rapti Women Empowerment Project , Nepal

There has been a growing incidence of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa over the last two decades. Historically, it is a fact that women have not been seen as equal partners in growth and development process. Poverty has a gender dimension since women and men experience and react differently to its impact. Within the framework of social exclusion theory, the paper argued that there cannot be genuine sustainable development aimed at poverty alleviation, without mainstreaming women in all development structures and processes. The study established among others, that a lot of efforts have been made in poverty alleviation in Nigeria through poverty alleviation programs. However, the reality on ground indicates that despite these interventions, there is geometrical increase in the number of the poor both in rural and urban Nigeria. Therefore, there is need to intensify efforts in poverty alleviation programs, especially as regards to beneficiaries participation in decision making and implementation, human resource training and development and legal framework. Nigeria can adopt the template of Rapti Women Empowerment Project in Nepal. Sustainable poverty alleviation strategies should engage and empower men and more of women as actors and beneficiaries. It concludes that unless there are genuine, realistic and workable interventions to address the ugly situation, poverty will remain a vicious circle that could be inherited from one generation to the other in communities, families and the nation at large.