The impact of micro businesses on women’s lives in most of the military barracks

Thesis Overview

<p> <b></b></p><p><b><b>INTRODUCTION</b></b></p><p><b><b></b></b></p><b><b><p>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp; <b>Background<br>to the Study &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The<br>need to meet the basic necessities of life is an essential aspect of everyday<br>activity in a human life. The natural expectation of most societies is that the<br>man is the bread winner of the family and should therefore provide all the<br>requirements of the home. This however is not often the case, not just in the<br>modern context but even in the cultural or traditional homes in most part of<br>the world. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p><p>While<br>the man works tirelessly to meet up with these obligations most often their<br>female partners participate equally in activities that would help the family<br>meet up with its needs, either in the traditional farm settings or fishing<br>communities, or in the more sophisticated societies of today. The woman continues to play a vital role in<br>the family in other to make ends meet. The average woman in the barracks<br>therefore is not an exception to this fact.</p><p>The<br>women in the barracks are married to men whom by choice have decided on the<br>noble call to serve their country and humanity at large. Similarly the women<br>married to them are by extension committed to supporting them in this<br>course. They have chosen to accept all<br>the pain and glory of their choice and dedicated to support them just like any<br>average family anywhere else.</p><p>The<br>military profession being a calling is not a highly paid job anywhere in the<br>world, but men in this profession often enjoy certain privileges, which, in a<br>developing country like still lives much to be desired. It is therefore not<br>surprising that the women in the Nigerian Barracks would not be idle but strive<br>to assist their men in providing for the family.</p><p>The<br>average barracks in Nigeria is a mini town on its own with a population that<br>has its own peculiar needs. These needs are often accessed within the barracks<br>in a mini market referred to as mammy market. This is one of the places the<br>average barrack woman runs her small business to provide goods and services for<br>financial rewards to support her family’s needs. The business is usually<br>comprised of goods and services which are required by the immediate community<br>on a small scale, and for which she, more often than not, does not require a<br>large capital to set up.</p><p>The<br>businesses engaged in by women in the Barracks range from simple trading in<br>provisions, cosmetics and foodstuff to patent medicine stores, hair dressing<br>salons, tailoring shops, food canteens and beer parlours, rentals of chairs and<br>tables etc. There are also women who engage in seasonal trading of mostly<br>consumables like roasting and cooking corn, groundnuts, mangoes, firewood etc.<br>To the average woman in the barrack, most trading activities that will generate<br>income to augment her husbands’ is welcome.</p><p>However,<br>despite the profound impact micro businesses have on the lives of women in the<br>barracks, it is believed that they have not being able to maximise their<br>potential in these ventures due to their inability to adequately access both<br>local and national schemes that would enable them to do so. Consequently, the<br>study would try to proffer solution. </p><p>1.2 &nbsp; &nbsp; <b>Statement<br>of the Problem</b></p><p>The problem which<br>arises from inadequate finances available to women in micro businesses within<br>the barracks has hindered their growth in that area, and it is believed that<br>such unavailability is as a result of lack of awareness on the subject, and<br>also the proper medium within which they can access such funds.</p><p>Therefore this research<br>will examine the unavailability and lack of awareness of financing options and<br>its resultant effect on the barrack women engaging in micro businesses.</p><p>1.3<b>&nbsp; &nbsp; Objectives of the Study &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Micro businesses have<br>long being viewed by the barrack community as an important medium to enhance<br>the financial growth and development of most families, considering the low<br>income earnings of the personnel and the large families they need to cater for.<br>In most instances, the spouses of personnel also have limited formal education,<br>which automatically precludes them from engaging in white collar jobs thereby<br>making micro business the only option they have to augment their income.</p><p>Therefore the study<br>aims at finding out the impact of the micro businesses in enhancing the socio<br>economic life and development of women within military barracks in Nigeria<br>through interactions with the women.</p><p>&nbsp;1.4<b>&nbsp; &nbsp; Scope of the Study</b></p><p>The study discusses the<br>impact of micro businesses on women’s lives in most of the military barracks. A<br>comprehensive analysis of achieving this involves interaction with various<br>women engaged in such businesses, study of their businesses and the challenges<br>they face while carrying out such businesses.</p><p>The case study which<br>also stands as a sample study is the NDA Barracks in Kaduna. </p><p>1.5<b>&nbsp; &nbsp; Justification of the<br>Study &nbsp; </b></p><p>For<br>the economic activities and their effect on the lives of barrack women to be<br>successful, policies set up to assist them must be fully available and easily<br>accessible by them. Therefore this study will be fully accomplished when it has<br>been well appreciated by those vested with the functions of rendering<br>assistance to micro businesses, researchers, students and other members of the<br>public as well as many others who will come across this project and give a<br>thorough digestion of its facts.</p></b></b></b></b> <br><p></p>