AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN IN NASARAWA STATE CIVIL SERVICE

The traditional role of women as bearers and nurses of children has advanced beyond the orthodoxy to the contemporary status of clear leadership in all spheres of life: industry, public career, politics, technology and the medical sciences, among others. In contradistinction to the position of adherents of orthodoxy, advocates of modernity believe in and strongly support a shift in the paradigm, for a wider participation of women in formal employment, given the backdrop of the prevalence of labour discrimination, based on gender difference. With advancement in' education and civilization among women, the pressure for the emancipation of the folk from the clutches of marginalisation assumed a new dimension in 2006, when the Nigeria Women’s Charter of Demand, also known as Affirmative Action, was presented. The objective was to eradicate all forms of gender discriminations artificially erected on the path of women’s efforts of attaining gender mainstreaming and parity. Elsewhere on the globe: China, Israel, Sri-Lanka, Taiwan, Malaysia, France and Finland, Affirmative Action dated back to 1949. In spite of the critical essence of gender equal labour market opportunities; there remains a dearth of empirical studies in Nigeria, particularly in Nasarawa State, where the inequality is obvious and copious. This study is therefore instituted to examine the nature, causes and implications of the anomaly for Nigerian women and for national development. Employing panel or longitudinal survey design, and using published data on personnel establishment obtained from Nasarawa State Civil Service Commission for the period 2007—2017, the null hypothesis of no significant discrepancy between gender employment opportunities in Nasarawa State Civil Service and the Affirmative Action was tested. The Chi-square statistical tool was employed, following its wide appeal in the Management and Social Sciences. Based on the findings, it was concluded that there is a significant discrepancy between women employment in Nasarawa State Civil Service and Affirmative Action, leading to underemployment. Accordingly, it was recommended that Nasarawa State Government should redress the imbalance by domesticating the Charter, for the attainment of its objectives.