CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The service sector is a known crucial sector of the economy. It makes a reasonable contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), making jobs available, vital inputs, and public services. The 2015 World Development Indicators depict that the service sector accounted for almost 71 percent of global GDP in 2014 (World Bank 2015). Specifically, in developed economies, ‘servicification’ shows that services are increasingly paramount as both inputs and outputs of manufacturing, and are continuously sold and exported as imbedded or accompanying parts of goods (WTO 2015). Services are slowly becoming a necessity for firms that desire to capture more value in global value chains as part of their competitiveness strategy. Steadily more, both academia and policymakers are acknowledging that services can arrange a replacement engine of growth for growing countries, permitting latecomers to skip the traditional manufacturing route (Ghani and Kharas 2010; ADB 2013).
Based on research, trade in services can be a crucial engineer of this growth, by boosting the economic performance of the domestic services sector, through improved competition, better access to technology and foreign capital, and making available new and many numerous export opportunities. Trade in services has been growing at a faster rate than trade in goods since the 1980s, yet services exports continue to make up less than 27 percent of world exports (WTO 2015). Fast growing countries’ share in global services trade is still a meagre 34 percent,1 and for least developed countries the share is only 0.5 percent, pointing to a main undiscovered prospects in services trade (WTO 2014). More so, services liberalisation also taking risks, and worthy law and complementary policies auto to be put in place to make sure that liberalisation delivers the anticipated gains in terms of inclusive growth. Statistics indicate high levels of female employment in service sectors, with services globally accounting for almost 50 percent of female employment in 2013 (ILO 2014a). While in developing countries the majority of women are still employed in the agricultural sector, the share of women employed in services is on the rise, having increased by 7.6 percent between 1992 and 2012 (ILO 2012). As the primary careers in most societies, women are also the predominant users of public services such as water, energy, sanitation, and health services. At the same time, in both developed and developing countries, norms concerning the role of women in the household, community, and public life continue to shape the societal status of women in the labour market. This gendered structure of economies influences patterns of resource allocation and the competitive advantages of countries (Fontana 2009), meaning that the impact of economic growth and trade will have different repercussions for women and men. With policymakers turning to services as a means of driving development through growth and job creation, there is a need to better understand the interaction between services, services trade, and the gendered structure of economies. Over the past decade, gender equality and women’s empowerment have been firmly placed on the global agenda. Last year saw the adoption of a new set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, accompanied by 169 targets and indicators that will guide the global development agenda for the next 15 years. The SDGs build on the Millennium Development Goals, but are more extensive and aspirational in their scope and targets. One of their main achievements is the arrival at a specific gender equality goal, SDG 5, which calls on governments to achieve, rather than just promote, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The new set of development goals is unique in that they focus on women’s economic empowerment, and particularly their access to productive resources, as a prerequisite for ensuring gender equality, growth, and poverty reduction. SDG includes targets on equitable access to economic resources, basic services, social protection, property and inheritance, technology, financial services, and markets as a means to achieve gender equality and fight poverty (UNCTAD 2015). SDG 5 also marks out technology and legislation as important enablers for the empowerment of women. There are also specific mentions of women’s empowerment in other SDGs: SDG 3 includes a target on universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, SDG 6 highlights the needs of women and girls in sanitation. Finally, with a renewed focus on the Decent Work Agenda, SDG Goal 8 calls for the promotion of sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work. As women are disproportionally concentrated in vulnerable and precarious forms of employment, this goal is also particularly relevant to achieving women’s economic empowerment. Other key aspects of decent work are widely embedded in the targets of many of the other 16 goals.
This paper seeks to analyse the effect of women transfer & posting on service delivery (A Case Study Of Ajeromi-ifelodun LG). The study will also analyse the service sector against the backdrop of these new development commitments, seeing services as a potential major driver of not only growth but also greater gender equality. By integrating gender into the analysis of services and services trade, it aims to identify the key gender dimensions of service sector development and competitiveness.
1.2 PROBLEM OF THE STUDY
In the post-conflict environment women scuffle with particular constraints and limitations to having access to public services, together with the threat of sexual and gender-based violence in unsafe environments, challenges with transport, finances and childcare and progressed marginalization from decision-making processes. Rural women precisely go through major issues in accessing public services such as water and health care. Building accountability to local women in the planning and delivery of services in delicate and post–conflict contexts is therefore vividly a significant contribution to women’s enhanced social, political and economic outcomes.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The paper will analyse the effect of women transfer & posting on service delivery (A case study of Ajeromi-ifelodun LG). Specific objectives include;
To ascertain if women’s involvement and voice in the design process and decision-making stages of public services can also be secured through consulting local women and women’s civil society, but also by ensuring the employment of women in the service delivery chain.
Examine if building accountability to local women in the planning and delivery of services in delicate and post–conflict contexts is therefore vividly a significant contribution to women’s enhanced social, political and economic outcomes.
To identify the key gender dimensions of service sector development and competitiveness.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What are the effect of women transfer & posting on service delivery (A case study of Ajeromi-ifelodun LG)?
Does women’s involvement and voice in the design process and decision-making stages of public services can also be secured through consulting local women and women’s civil society, but also by ensuring the employment of women in the service delivery chain?
Does building accountability to local women in the planning and delivery of services in delicate and post–conflict contexts is therefore vividly a significant contribution to women’s enhanced social, political and economic outcomes?
What are the key gender dimensions of service sector development and competitiveness?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will assist departments in understanding their roles and responsibilities with regard to the the effect of women transfer & posting on service delivery. It will further assist departments in terms of understanding the linkage between the effect of women transfer & posting on service delivery.
The study will also be of great help to researchers who wants to further research on the topic.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study centers on the effect of women transfer & posting on service delivery (A case study of Ajeromi-ifelodun LG).
We shall have samples from women in Ajeromi-ifelodun LG who are well exposed to the topic in question. The simple random sampling system will be used to evaluate the samples. Methods of data collection shall include interviews, questionnaire administration, and the direct observation of the effect of women transfer & posting on service delivery (A case study of Ajeromi-ifelodun LG).
