ABSTRACT
The study examined The Assessment of Functional literacy programme for women empowerment in Oyigbo Local Government Area, Rivers State. The study were to examine and explain the benefits of implementing a functional literacy programme, to know the existing barriers that prevent women from accessing formal education and participating in adult literacy programmes, to know what socio-economic factors contribute to low literacy rates among women, and to know the current literacy level among women
The research design employed in this study is the descriptive survey. The sample size of 100 women from Ndoku and Asa community in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State was used as respondents and simple random sampling technique was used for the study, with 45 respondents from Ndoku community and 55 respondents from Asa community. The major instrument used for data collection in this study is the questionnaire which bears the tittle tagged "Assessment of Functional literacy programme for women empowerment in Oyigbo Local Government Area, Rivers State". The questionnaire is divided into two parts of "A and B". Section A dwells on the demographic data while section B questions were raised to answer the research questions of the study. The response scale adopted was the likert scale.
The study then stated that; The benefits of implementing a functional literacy Programme in Oyigbo Local Government area are; economic opportunities, improved health care awareness, and it builds stronger social relationship. Financial barriers, safety concerns or issues related to traveling to educational institutions, responsibilities at home or within the community, discrimination or gender-based violence in educational settings are barriers that prevent women in Oyigbo local government area from accessing formal education and participating in adult literacy programmes. Also, traditional gender roles affect women's access to education n Oyigbo Local Government Area. Furthermore, based on the research findings, the following recommendations was raised for the effectiveness of functional literacy programmes for women empowerment in Oyigbo Local Government Area, Rivers State; The Government should Increase community involvement to raise awareness and encourage participation in the program, ensuring it meets the needs and interests of local women. There should be Customized curriculum to address the specific literacy needs and interests of women in Oyigbo, including relevant topics such as financial literacy, health education, and vocational skills. Provision of adequate resources such as textbooks, teaching materials, and facilities are provided to support effective learning outcomes.
