Molds: Vital Things You Should Know About Them and How Natural Cleaning Products Can Help You

Are you affected by molds? Do you have any of those especially the awful black ones lurking on the shadows of your houses? Living contentedly on the walls of your furniture, concrete and other valuable stuffs at home where dampness is inevitable while secretly posing threats to your family's health. Molds can help you in some ways. But if they exist on places where they shouldn't be such as your homes, risks to your health might develop. And for some cases, battling with them using those cheap and ineffective cleaning products which contain harsh chemicals can even add up to your worries. However, with the development of green cleaning products which are organic, mold removal has never been this safe and effective.

Molds grow on almost any thing when moisture is present. This can be very omnipresent to areas where humidity is extensive either indoors or outdoors such as to those damp or shady places, showers, basements, areas where leaves decompose and pieces of wood rot, even in your wet window sills and fabrics or papers taken for granted and stored irresponsibly on a damp area.

If you are one of those busy moms or always-on-run persons, then maybe you are not that informed regarding the threats that mold build-up in your homes can cause you and your family. Not only that they can bring about certain damages to your precious materials as they will tend to ruin them if not acted upon since molds can also cause harm to your family's health. Molds also release detrimental toxins as we all know that molds are tiny fungi that produce tiny spores in order to reproduce like plants and they grow continually on almost anything that has high humidity level.
Molds can cause serious health problems to your family particularly if you have an asthmatic kid. Asthma may also be triggered or caused by too much exposure to molds. Pregnant women predominantly small children are also in danger when mold is just around their homes. Eye or skin irritation, chronic lung diseases, fever, headaches, coughing, allergies and nasal congestion or difficulty in breathing are some of the bad effects of molds to your health especially if you or your family have a weak immune system.

Nowadays, we are living in a world full of chemicals in almost anything that we use in our homes. This brought about concern and even doubt to most mothers particularly to those who are mainly anxious with their home cleaning. And since many people are avoiding such harmful products, advancements in our technology made it possible to deal with almost any kinds of home cleaning dilemmas such as mold prevention and removal in a safer yet more efficient way.

And although you can deal with molds using some traditional methods of cleaning, it is still highly recommended to settle for the aid of cleaning products that offer not only the cleanliness that you want but also the safety that commercial cleaning products containing lots of chemicals can't give you. Are you aware that natural cleaning products can give you both? Those organic cleaning products can give you all that and more. If you're still sceptical about that since cleaning products can actually impose different risks to your family's health as well as to your environment, then you should know that these cleaning products are made from natural ingredients thus they are eco-friendly and are now preferred by most household owners over chemical-based cleaning products.

The use of organic ingredients made it possible to produce natural cleaning products which offer both the effectiveness that you want in removing molds in your homes as well as the safety that you need to assure good health foe your family. These green cleaning products neutralize mold and mildew and keep it from coming back. They even give out a refreshing and deodorizing scent to your home or the place where you applied such cleaning products.

Finding those natural cleaning products won't take so much of your time and effort as they are widely available in the market or almost everywhere. All you have to do is pick up your choice but be sure to make the wise one. So what are you waiting for? It is now time to go green!

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WOMEN ENPOWERMENT

WOMEN ENPOWERMENT *N.V.S.SURYANARAYANA **G. HIMABINDU ***N.V.S.BRAMARAMBA

The term empowerment has become one of the most widely used development terms. Womens groups, non-governmental development organizations, activists, politicians, governments and international agencies refer to empowerment as one of their goals. Yet it is one of the least understood in terms of how it is to be measured or observed. It is used precisely because this word has now been one of the fashionable concepts to include in policies/programmes/projects that there is a need to clarify and come up with tentative definitions.

Women constitute more than 50% of the population, undertake most of the work (two thirds) but only receive one tenth of the total income rather than men. The working hours of women are longer than that of men, often 12-16 hours per day. In addition to their domestic responsibilities in child care, women have to be responsible for housework, such a s fetching firewood, water and cooking and even hard work as ploughing and raking, planting, transplanting and harvesting. Women have to suffer from continuing under nutrition and two thirds of them are anemic. Rural women lack sex education and have poor health due to frequent pregnancies. The illiterate women especially lack of information on balanced diet, family planning, house cleaning and other information to improve their health and the quality of life. They have lower status and low paid occupations, lower economic positions so they are less conscious and lack self-confidence. They have a few books and a little time to read so they can not appreciate the benefits of reading and have no motivation for reading.

The Concept of Empowerment:

Empowerment has become a widely used word. In spheres as different as management and labor unions, health care and ecology, banking and education, one hears of empowerment takin g place. The popular use of the word also means that it has been overextended and applied in circumstances that clearly do not involve much power acquisition beyond some symbolic activity or event. It is also a concept that does not merely concern personal identity but brings out a broader analysis of human rights and social justice.

The term empowerment has been bandied about so much in recent years that there is now a genuine danger of it being co-opted as a development buzzword that will meet the same fate as terms such as decentralization, peoples participation etc. After attempting a review of literature, Shetty (1992) comes to the conclusion that empowerment is easy to intuit but complex to define. But while it may be difficult to define it, one is able to understand its meaning when one sees the manifestation of what it implies. Thus an empowered individual would be one who experiences a sense of self-confidence and self-worth; a person who critically analyzes his/her social and political environment; a person who is able to exercise control over decisions that affect his/her life. An attempt is made in this paper to examine how a literacy campaign has brought about womens empowerment. The nature of empowerment renders it difficult to define. On the one hand, it is often referred to as a goal for many development programmes/projects. On the other hand, it can also be conceived as a process that people undergo, which eventually leads to changes. Nelly Stromquist, for instance, defines empowerment as a process to change the distribution of power both in interpersonal relations and in institutions through out society while Lucy Lazo describes it as a process of acquiring, providing, bestowing the resources and the means or enabling the access to a control over such means and resources.

Given the above, the term is therefore more relevant to the marginalized groups the poor, the illiterates, the indigenous communities a nd of course, cutting across these categories, the women. Namtip Aksornkool looks at the individual level when she cites Pazs definition of empowerment as the ability to direct and control ones own life. It is a process in which women gain control over their own lives by knowing and claiming their rights at all levels of society at the international, local, and household levels. Self-empowerment means that women gain autonomy, are able to set their own agenda and are fully involved in the economic, political and social decision-making process.

To add to the already complex nature of empowerment, it was also pointed out that it is difficult to come out with a general definition since it can be somehow determined by the respective cultural contexts. The relativity of empowerment, although in a different sense, is one of the important features discussed in Ms.Lazos paper. She argues that empowerment is a moving state; it is continuum that varies in degree of powe r. It is relativeOne can move from an extreme state of absolute lack of power to the other extreme of having absolute power. Empowerment can have four components: cognitive, psychological, economic and political.

According to Ms.Stromquist, the cognitive component would include the women are understanding of their conditions of subordination and the causes of such conditions at both micro and macro levels of society. It involves acquiring new knowledge to create a different understanding of gender relations as well as destroying old beliefs that structure powerful gender ideologies. The psychological component, on the other hand, would include the development of feelings that women can act upon to improve their condition. This means formation of the belief that they can succeed in change efforts.

According to Stromquist The economic component requires that women can be able to engage in a productive activity that will allow them some de gree of autonomy, no matter how small and hard to obtain at the beginning. The case study of Ms.Lazo demonstrates how socio-economic aid (through granting of revolving funds, marketing assistance and product development) has helped in the setting up of micro-enterprises run by women.

The political component would encompass the ability to organize and mobilize for change. Consequently, an empowerment process must involve not only individual awareness but collective awareness and collective action. The notion of collective action is fundamental to the aim of attaining social transformation (Stromquist).

It is clear that women can be empowered individually, the feminist vision is one where women are able to articulate a collective voice and demonstrate collective strength. It was also stressed that incorporating the feminist perspective in the concept of empowerment implies a long-term re-designing of societies that will be based on democratic rela tionships. According to Ms.Dighe talks about empowerment as dealing with strategic rather than practical gender needs.

Indicators of Empowerment:

Understanding that empowerment is a complex issue with varying interpretations in different societal, national and cultural contexts, there is some listing of indicators.

At the level of woman and her household:

. Participation in crucial decision-making processes;

. Extent of sharing of domestic work by men;

. Extent to which a woman takes control of her reproductive functions and decides on family size;

. Extent to which a woman is able to decide where the income she has earned will be channeled to;

.feeling and expression of pride and value in her work;

. Self-confidence and self-esteem; and

. Ability to prevent violence.

At the community / organizational level:

. Existence of womens organizations;

< p>. Allocation of funds to women and womens projects;

. Increased number of women leaders at village, district, state and national levels;

. Involvement of women in the design, development and application of technology;

. Participation in community programmes, productive enterprises, politics and arts;

. Involvement of women in non-traditional tasks;

. Increased training programmes for women; and

. Exercising her legal rights when necessary;

At the national level:

. Awareness of her social and political rights;

. Integration of women in the general national development plan;

. Existence of womens networks and publications;

. Extent to which women are officially visible and recognized; and

. The degree to which the media take on womens issues.

Facilitating and Constraining Factors of Empowerment

Empowermen t does not take place in a vacuum. In the same way that Ms.Lazo talks about womens state of powerlessness as a result of a combination and interaction of environmental factors, one can also discuss the condition/factors the can hasten or hinder empowerment. As above, the listing is a preliminary one based on the discussions.

Facilitating factors

. Existence of womens organizations;

. Availability of support systems for women;

. Availability of women-specific data and other relevant information;

. Availability of funds

. Feminist leadership;

. Networking;

. Favorable media coverage;

. Favorable policy climate.

Constraining factors :

. Heavy work load of women;

. Isolation of women from each other;.

. Illiteracy;

. Traditional views that limit womens participation;

. No funds;

. Internal strife/militarization/wars;

. Disagreem ents/conflicts among womens groups;

. Structural adjustment policies;

. Discriminatory policy environment;

. Negative and sensational coverage of media.

Strategies for the Future :

Empowerment through education is ideally seen as a continuous holistic process with cognitive, psychological, economic and political dimensions in order to achieve emancipation. Given the complexity of political, societal and international interrelations, one has to systematically think about the strategies and concrete proposals for future action if one hopes to achieve such a goal.

a) Education

The formal and non-formal education systems would need to be considered. It would be important to analyze the gender content and to ascertain the manner in which it is addressed/not addressed in the educational system. On the basis of the analysis, curriculum changes would need to be brought about. Likewise it would be imp ortant to reorient the teachers on gender issues so that overall gender sensitization in the educational system could be brought about. In concrete terms, this would mean ;

. Reorienting and re-educating policy makers;

. Securing equal access for boys and girls in education;

.Holding workshops/seminars for teachers

. Revising teaching materials;

. Producing materials in local languages;

-Implementing special programmes for women in the field of Adult Education;

. Incorporating issues such as tradition, race, ethnicity, gender sensitization, urban and

Rural contexts in the programmes;

. Raising awareness on the necessity for health care;

. To show them how macro level mismanagement is responsible for their loss of jobs

. Focusing on parents as role models

b)Research/Documentation

The importance of doing participatory and action research was underscored. It was considere d important to organize workshops to train grass-roots women to conduct participatory research where they could develop skills to critically analyze their existing conditions. This will facilitate their organizing for collective action. The guiding principle, should framed for women in a language and manner that was understandable to them.

Research as a strategy would therefore entitle:

. Disseminating information;

. Producing and disseminating information leaflets regarding womens rights;

. Referring to women in all national and UN statistics;

. Collecting oral history of women;

. Documenting and analyzing successful and failed progrmmes of the womens movements;

. Analyzing successful advocacy cases in order to learn about the arguments that pursued policy makers;

. Collecting cross-cultural caste studies

. Constantly evaluating research; and

.Involving women as agents (instead of objects ) of research

c)Campaigns

If one is to have an effect in society, it is important to undertake campaign and lobby activities that will put the issue of gender in the minds of the legislators, policy-makers and the large public. This will therefore mean:

. Pushing for a dialogue between stake holders;

. Raising gender issues within the national policy arena;

. Pressuring to upgrade womens bureaus (which are a result of the UN Decade for Women) into ministries of womens affairs;

. Lobbying for sex-equity and affirmative action legislation;

. Lobbying for counter structural adjustment policies;

. Organizing pressure groups (like Greenpeace);

. Using consumer power for boycotts;

. Securing access to information;

. Demanding child care centers; and

. Producing video and CDs, T-Shirts etc.

d) Networking :

Through networking, it would be possible to share experiences and learn from one another. In this manner, understanding and solidarity among womens organizations, development organizations (governmental/non-government) and multilateral agencies could be forged. This would therefore entail networking at the national, regional and international levels. Moreover, at the international level, South-South linkages were considered to be particularly important.

. Organizing at least one meeting year of gender sensitive organizations;

. Bringing together donor agencies, governments and NGOs;

. Setting up a south-south cooperation and exchange;

. Linking womens movements all over the world;

. Establishing alternative credit schemes that offer women access to funds.

e)Training :

In our societies, there is a gender division of labour which dictates the kind of training one acqu ires. If one talks about womens empowerment, it is important that women hve access to the different training opportunities previously denied them. This therefore means:

. Preparing for jobs that are usually not open to them;

. Providing income-generating projects tht are market-oriented (not welfre-oriented projects); and

. Training capable female leaders at all levels.

f)Media :

Considering the attitudinal barriers in traditional societies and the role which the mass media play in reinforcing them, the following strategies were advanced:

. Organizing mass media campaigns to raise awareness;

. Creating a social climate friendly to womens issues;

. Resisting the tendency to send women back to the kitchen; and

. disseminating information about conferences that will take place in the coming years.

It was pointed out that one of the key determin ants of successful programmes is the extent to which they had taken the multiple roles of women into account and how they helped in alleviating the burden.

These are the suggested components for Women Empowerment:

. Promotion of gender awareness

. Lessons on health and nutrition;

. Integration of technical, entrepreneurial, cultural and communal aspects;

. Information and lessons on politics; and

. Provision of planning and thinking skills.

It was also necessary to clarify the goals of womens education. The some more important objectives before us are:

. To eliminate illiteracy;

. To develop self-esteem and self-confidence;

. To have knowledge about their bodies and sexuality;

. To have the ability to make their own decisions and negotiate;

. To raise the womens awareness of their civil rights;

. To provide skills for income generation;

. To make participation in community/soc iety more effective; and

. To prepare them to be good women leaders.

Literacy is a tool that can help women and men understand themselves, their communities and society at large. Literacy involves change because it offers possibilities of new ways of looking and doing things. Crucial to education work are other complementary activities such as those in the areas of legal reform, transformation of international economic and political relations, action-oriented research and networking. It was stressed that it is equally important to convince men that better education of women will be beneficial to the entire family and the society as a whole.

References :

Bown, Lalage (1990) Preparing the Future. Women, Literacy, and Development. Action Aid Development Report No.4, Sommerset: Action Aid.

Carmichael, Stokely, and Hamilton, Charles (1967) Black Power: The Politics of Liberation. New York: Random House.

Commonwealth Secretariat (1989) Engendering Adjustment for the 1990s. London Commonwealth Secretriat.

Evans, Sara (1979) Development Thought and Development Strategies, Riverside: University of California, mimeo.

Jack, Raymond(1992) Women and Attempted Suicide. Hove, U.K.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Lomintz, Larissa (1977) Networks of Marginality: Life in a Mexican Shantytown. New York: Academic Press.

Rao, Aruna, Feldstein, Hilary, Cloud, Kathleen, and Staudt, Kathleen (1991)Gender Training and Development Planning: Lerning from Experience. Conference Report. Bergan: The Chr. Michelsen Institute.

Stomquist, Nelly (1988) Womens Education in Development: From Welfare to Empowerment, Convergence 21 (4): 5-17.

Stomquist, Nelly (1993b) Womens Literacy and Empowerment in Latin America. In Carlos Torres (ed.), Edication in Latin America. Al bert Park, Australia: James Nicholas Publishers.

UNESCO (1992) EFA 2000 No.9. Paris: UNESCO

UNICEF (1987) The Invisible Adjustment. Poor Women and the Economic Crisis Santiago: UNICEF Regional Office for the Americas and the Carribean.

USAID (1990b) The Democratic Initiative. Washington, D.C.: USAID, December.

About the Authors:

* N.V.S.Suryanarayana, M.Sc (Chem)., M.Sc (Geo)., M.A (Eng)., M.A (Phil)., M.A (CC&E)., PGDCA., PGDEPM., PGDIPM., CFA., CPFN., CIG., C.Yoga&Con., M.Ed., M.Phil. (Ph.D). Teaching Associate, Department of Education, Andhra University Campus, Vizianagaram, (AP)., India,e-Mail suryanarayananistala@yahoo.in. ** G. Himabindu, M.A(Pol.)., M.Li.Sc., M.A (Edn.)., B.Ed., M.Phil., (Ph.D). Teaching Associate, Department of Politics., Andhra University Campus, Vizianagaram. (AP)., India e- Mail- gotetihimabindu@yahoo.comN.V.S.BramarambaM.A(Pol.)., M.A (Edn.).,M.Li.Sc., (Ph.D.).Teacher, APSWER.Jr.College, Tallapalem, Visakhapatnam(AP)., India.

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Women Seeking Women in Lesbian London Dating Services

Women seeking other lesbian women in London dating instances has become very common. Hundreds of London dating sites for female lesbian singles in the capital is enabling them to find the women they are searching. Almost all the dating sites in London are a wholly representation of the way technology is affecting the life of every man and woman around the globe. The lesbian dating singles in London are generally after making sure single women as they would like them have been availed. It is upon ones online dating prowess to be able to make a mark about their online dating instigation.

The best news perhaps for every lesbian London dating individual is the many online dating sites there are. You can come across as many online dating individuals as you would like and even getting the kind of individuals you are searching for is something easy as ever. You must more than any other time try to make sure that you have been able to meet those individuals who mean som ething to you. Meeting the lesbian females you are searching for is not something that is overtly hard. What you need to make sure is that you have the best site that caters for all you dating and relationship needs.

Lesbian London dating should be localized as much as possible. You need to make sure online dating sites you have decided to traverse in your love issues are able to access you to the local females in your area. Find the kind of website that is accessing you to those individuals who are within a radius of 10 miles in your London home. For instance, if you are in Fulham, finding the lesbian singles within the locality should be your utmost goal. What you can do is search for a London dating site and you can be accessed to all the singles in its database. This is what many lesbians do, but there is another way that has been under-utilized.

Nevertheless, what many have ignored is the fact that many international dating sites are able to conne ct them with the local singles they are searching. The good thing for any lesbian in London dating is that, by using the section for lesbian singles in London from these sites offers you a rare chance to meet singles who have not been in any relationship online before. It is upon you to make use of a site that works for you, trying to get the best of dating to bring you the relationship you desire, but you must make sure you have made the right choice. You can use a site that lacks in the right services that make you meet viable singles and you will be left without anything to look forward.

Operating and going using a lesbian London dating site that is obsolete will leave you more tired and frustrated, leaving you with nothing but distaste for online dating and loath for the site. A viable lesbian dating site from your area in London is very crucial.

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How to Have Healthy Hair for Women With Hair Loss Issues

An increasing number of women with hair loss problems are becoming awfully worried to find the permanent cure for this health issue. Many of them had wasted so much money just to go through hair transplantation and other relative cosmetic surgeries to get the locks that is adequately charming to the demanding public. Meanwhile, others are continuously searching for answers on how to have healthy hair for women.

There are other ways for curing hair loss problems aside from expensive cosmetic procedures the market can offer. The key to this problem is keenly identifying the causes of the hair failure. Let's say its lack of vitamin intake. You then know what to do next. A terrible loss of hair doesn't necessarily mean you got gene issues or a serious illness. It can be as uncomplicated as not having enough vitamins to keep your hair follicles in producing a healthy bouncy hair.

If you wonder how to have healthy hair for women, knowing the causes of baldness can help you recognize the solutions. One possible cause is hormonal problems that are the source of the making of hormones that contributes to baldness. A hormone called DHT when excessively produced has side effects. It creates imbalance that makes the hair follicles unable to produce shiny and healthy hair as it used to. Thus, it makes a woman appear bald. Baldness however occurs as people get older. But being old isn't the only case people start balding head. A great percentage of young people are seriously bald only because they are so much stressed. On the other hand, at a young age it is more often than not temporary and can still be resolved. What causes baldness and how can we prevent it?

Women love to style their hair and sometimes they are overdoing it. Over-styled and colored hair can give so much harm to your locks and it's a strong reason for it to fall out. Truth is it can even cause permanent balding. Bad eating habits can cause hair fall too. Pregnancy and stressful life events can lead to the same hair issue momentarily.

To stop balding, ways are really very easy. Practice a balanced diet. You can unquestionably benefit from it in numerous ways. For a shiny and healthy hair, get yourself foods that are rich in proteins and iron. In most cases, people who have gotten important fatty acids sport healthy hair. Plus, having multivitamins can help your body send the nutrients to the tips of your hair.

It is also advisable to get your hair trimmed in a regular basis. This is done to improve the condition of your locks to slash the damaged end parts.

Finally, consult your hair specialist for the exact hair products suitable for you. They know best and will surely be able to give you more tips on how to have healthy hair for women. A shampoo that is appropriate for you will promote growth and will keep your scalp clean and healthy.

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Diet Pills for Women - Why Women Buy Fat Burner Supplements?

Do diet pills work? Or do they simply waste your money? Do fat burner supplements repair your damaged metabolism? Will they help you get your pre-baby body back? Everyone wants diet pills to work, but do they?

Many women look at the diet pill as a replacement for the time she doesn't have for diet and exercise.
Women think that if they slack off with diet and exercise the pill should hopefully make up the difference. Hopefully the diet pill will be better than nothing. They think it will help, even if only a bit.

In addition to diet pills, many women also buy CLA, Fish Oils, and Multi Vitamins. - possibly even calcium too. These are easy up sells to the soccer mom who is looking for help to lose weight. Nutrition supplement store employees find it easy to convince women to buy these and some other simple relatively cheap upsells. They think each of these things will "help" with their overall results they are going to get with the fat burner pill as the primary purchase.

There are no rules when it comes to which women will buy diet pills. Rich and poor, employed outside the home or working full time at home, all types of women rely on diet pills. The marketing behind the diet pills is powerful, and all women want to believe.

When comparing moms to women without children, experts say that moms tend to buy diet pill supplements slightly more often. Often, because mom's have a few extra pounds due to childbirth, they want to get back to the shape they were in before the kid,...they know the shape they used to be in and want it back and see it as a realistic goal. And they look to diet pills for help.

In fact, according to industry insiders, some of the best female diet pill customers are women who don't make much money (like the $40K per year soccer mom). And get this, "Price is NEVER an issue regardless of income. It's very rare for any woman to turn away because of price."

So what happens when women get done that first bottle of pills? Do they keep coming back for more?

Indeed, most women come back for the same brand, as they tend to like it. Only a small percentage of women will switch. According to one supplement store owner, "Once they are comfortable with it they keep purchasing the same brand."

There is a lot of pressure on women to maintain a beautiful body, and it can be very stressful for new moms. They may view their body as damaged goods...after a kid their body will never be the same. So most moms want their pre mom body back. So diet pills are often the first answer in most women's minds.

But hopefully you and I can show women that healthy nutrition and exercise work just as fast and have far more additional benefits such as natural energy boosting, less money wasted, and lifelong anti-aging healthy habits. Forget about fat burner supplements and lose fat a better way.

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Women Helping Women Through Volunteer Organizations for Women

It is amazing and inspiring to hear of women helping other women through a volunteer organization for women. Women empowering other women to be better, be stronger and to live their dreams are so astonishing. Women standing together at their best helping other women in the community to be their best are what a volunteer organization for women believes in.

It's all around us; look for it in your community. A volunteer organization for women can be found in your community clubs and you may not realize it. The name may not stand out as a volunteer organization for women, but the focus and commitment do stand out. There are so many ways to make a difference. A volunteer organization for women encourages you to help other women and girls by:
Volunteering at local domestic violence shelters.
Serving as mentors to underprivileged women and girls.
Participating in breast cancer and heart health awareness activities.
Joining a volunteer organization for woman that specifically works to improve the lives of women and girls.
Supporting women's disaster relief funds, assisting female victims of natural disasters and acts of war.
Recognizing other inspiring women that are working to improve the lives of other women through a volunteer organization for women.

Women have come a long way in this journey and they haven't come alone. A volunteer organization for women welcomes all ages, cultures and ethnic groups. Members come from all professions and are doctors, attorneys, homemakers, teachers, CEOs, business owners, and government officials. They are all leaders in their communities. Find a volunteer organization for women in your community today. Women joining together to help each other will make the world a better place. You can make a difference.

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Enjoy Being A Women With Womens Harmony

Lets face it, its not always rainbows and butterflies being a woman. We have many issues to deal with from pre-menstrual syndrome to pre menopause to menopause to post menopause, its seems like we just dont miss a beat. What all the symptoms that come with this, it seems like theres got to be some kind of relief from it all. Here are a few ways to get some relief.



Most women get many symptoms when going though pre-menstrual syndrome also known as PMS. What causes PMS is a hormone change that happens during your menstrual cycle. Many women experience bloating, tender breast, food craving, acne, lack of energy, headaches, and low back pain many women can experience this a week before they even start their menstrual cycle. Also some women may feel sad, angry, anxious, moody, and less involved in other actives while experiencing PMS. To decrease your chances of getting PMS is making sure youre getting enough vitamin B6, calcium, or magnesium. Drink too caffeine during can make your symptoms worse also and a lack of exercise.


Menopause is the point in a womens life where she has not menstruated in about a year. This is when you will not be able to have children anymore this stage in a womens life is usually referred to as the change of life. This usually will happen in women around the age of 50. Perimenopause is the process that happens before you get menopause. This process can start as early as your late 30s to 50s. What happens when your going though menopause is your reproductive system doesnt produce eggs as much as a result your body doesnt ovulate as much and your hormone levels fluctuate (estrogen and progesterone levels drops enough that your periods stop). What women experience when going though this process is ; irregular periods, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, headaches, trouble sleeping, emotional changes, feeling that your heart is beating too fast, and mood swings. These symptoms tend to get worse the first year but it different with every woman.



Some natural ways to deal with these symptoms that menopause brings is by making sure your eating healthy. Make sure youre on a hearth healthy diet including vegetables, fish, fruits, and high fiber grains and breads. Also limit your caffeine and alcohol intake; these will only make your symptoms worse. Make sure your getting enough calcium in your daily diet to keep your bones strong. If you smoke its would be a good idea to stop smoking, quitting smoking will help reduce your hot flashes and other long term health risk. Another thing you want to do is get exercise even if just a walk around your neighborhood, just get some exercise can help mange your weight, and give you a mood lift.



Another thing I would recommend your start taking before you start experience any of these symptoms is taking an all natural supplement called Womens Harmony by FreeLife. This is a supplement for women in all stages in their life. It will help your deal with PMS, Primenopause, and menopause and all the symptoms that come with it.

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Top Women's Sports Medicine Issues to be Aware of

Although it's important for anyone involved in physical activity to be aware of the health and medical risks it is especially important for women to be aware of the issues, and with women's sports medicine becoming so prevalent in the medical society today, advising women involved in exercise and sports has become an art. Of course, there are many ways to minimize your chances of certain injury types as well as certain conditions you should pay attention to as a woman who exercises regularly. Those are only a few of the topics we will look at here in this article.

One of the most common injuries sustained by both genders is the spraining of an ankle. A sprained ankle happens when the ankle turns inward and the ligaments become damaged. This frequently happens if you're running on an uneven surface, or, during team sports, when you trip or collide with another player. Your best option is to avoid these injuries all together but there are precautions you can take suc h as warm up stretching, proper footwear and using caution. You will delay your recovery time if you try to ignore or work through the pain of this injury so be sure to see your doctor if you are injured. Men and women are both susceptible to a common sports-related injury like a stress fracture. Repetitive stress activities, such as running or jumping, will cause these small breaks in bones. These breaks normally occur in the lower half of the body, such as the feet or legs. If you engage in activities that involve your arms, you can also have this problem. Building up your tolerance and endurance gradually is a great way to prevent this injury when starting a new activity. Make sure to see a doctor promptly if you suspect any kind of fracture.

One issue some women have is that when they exercise vigorously, they stop having periods. This condition is called amenorrhea, and it's a sign that your body is not getting all the nutrition it needs. Many women believe t his to be normal especially for athletes but it can be associated with a higher rate of injury and lowered bone density. If you have this problem it is necessary to consult your physician and lower the intensity of your training. Your activity plays a big role here, meaning if you are extremely active in sports or exercise you might end up with it but if you only make regular trips to the gym for activity it's not likely to become a problem for you.

Women's sports medicine typically involves a variety of issues in which factors such as age and activity type or sport play a role in the concerns you have. A common sense approach to sports safety is the best way to avoid injury although consulting a doctor who's knowledgeable about sports medicine can yield some good advice on avoiding unnecessary trips to the doctor.
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Pakistan: Status of Women & the Women's Movement

Four important challenges confronted women in Pakistan in the early 1990s: increasing practical literacy, gaining access to employment opportunities at all levels in the economy, promoting change in the perception of women's roles and status, and gaining a public voice both within and outside of the political process.

There have been various attempts at social and legal reform aimed at improving Muslim women's lives in the subcontinent during the twentieth century. These attempts generally have been related to two broader, intertwined movements: the social reform movement in British India and the growing Muslim nationalist movement. Since partition, the changing status of women in Pakistan largely has been linked with discourse about the role of Islam in a modern state. This debate concerns the extent to which civil rights common in most Western democracies are appropriate in an Islamic society and the way these rights should be reconciled with Islamic family law.

Muslim reformers in the nineteenth century struggled to introduce female education, to ease some of the restrictions on women's activities, to limit polygyny, and to ensure women's rights under Islamic law. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan convened the Mohammedan Educational Conference in the 1870s to promote modern education for Muslims, and he founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. Among the predominantly male participants were many of the earliest proponents of education and improved social status for women. They advocated cooking and sewing classes conducted in a religious framework to advance women's knowledge and skills and to reinforce Islamic values. But progress in women's literacy was slow: by 1921 only four out of every 1,000 Muslim females were literate.

Promoting the education of women was a first step in moving beyond the constraints imposed by purdah. The nationalist struggle helped fray the threads in that socially imposed curtain. S imultaneously, women's roles were questioned, and their empowerment was linked to the larger issues of nationalism and independence. In 1937 the Muslim Personal Law restored rights (such as inheritance of property) that had been lost by women under the Anglicization of certain civil laws. As independence neared, it appeared that the state would give priority to empowering women. Pakistan's founding father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, said in a speech in 1944:

No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live.

After independence, elite Muslim women in Pakistan continued to advocate women's political empowerment through legal reforms. They mobilized support that led to passage of the Muslim Pers onal Law of Sharia in 1948, which recognized a woman's right to inherit all forms of property. They were also behind the futile attempt to have the government include a Charter of Women's Rights in the 1956 constitution. The 1961 Muslim Family Laws Ordinance covering marriage and divorce, the most important sociolegal reform that they supported, is still widely regarded as empowering to women.

Two issues--promotion of women's political representation and accommodation between Muslim family law and democratic civil rights--came to dominate discourse about women and sociolegal reform. The second issue gained considerable attention during the regime of Zia ul-Haq (1977-88). Urban women formed groups to protect their rights against apparent discrimination under Zia's Islamization program. It was in the highly visible realm of law that women were able to articulate their objections to the Islamization program initiated by the government in 1979. Protests against the 1979 Enforcement of Hudood Ordinances focused on the failure of hudood (see Glossary) ordinances to distinguish between adultery (zina) and rape (zina-bil-jabr). A man could be convicted of zina only if he were actually observed committing the offense by other men, but a woman could be convicted simply because she became pregnant.
The Women's Action Forum was formed in 1981 to respond to the implementation of the penal code and to strengthen women's position in society generally. The women in the forum, most of whom came from elite families, perceived that many of the laws proposed by the Zia government were discriminatory and would compromise their civil status. In Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad the group agreed on collective leadership and formulated policy statements and engaged in political action to safeguard women's legal position.

The Women's Action Forum has played a central role in exposing the controversy regarding various interpretations of Islamic law and its role in a modern state, and in publicizing ways in which women can play a more active role in politics. Its members led public protests in the mid-1980s against the promulgation of the Law of Evidence. Although the final version was substantially modified, the Women's Action Forum objected to the legislation becaus e it gave unequal weight to testimony by men and women in financial cases. Fundamentally, they objected to the assertion that women and men cannot participate as legal equals in economic affairs.

Beginning in August 1986, the Women's Action Forum members and their supporters led a debate over passage of the Shariat Bill, which decreed that all laws in Pakistan should conform to Islamic law. They argued that the law would undermine the principles of justice, democracy, and fundamental rights of citizens, and they pointed out that Islamic law would become identified solely with the conservative interpretation supported by Zia's government. Most activists felt that the Shariat Bill had the potential to negate many of the rights women had won. In May 1991, a compromise version of the Shariat Bill was adopted, but the debate over whether civil law or Islamic law should prevail in the country continued in the early 1990s.

Discourse about the position of w omen in Islam and women's roles in a modern Islamic state was sparked by the government's attempts to formalize a specific interpretation of Islamic law. Although the issue of evidence became central to the concern for women's legal status, more mundane matters such as mandatory dress codes for women and whether females could compete in international sports competitions were also being argued.

Another of the challenges faced by Pakistani women concerns their integration into the labor force. Because of economic pressures and the dissolution of extended families in urban areas, many more women are working for wages than in the past. But by 1990 females officially made up only 13 percent of the labor force. Restrictions on their mobility limit their opportunities, and traditional notions of propriety lead families to conceal the extent of work performed by women.

Usually, only the poorest women engage in work--often as midwives, sweepers, or nannies-- for compensation outside the home. More often, poor urban women remain at home and sell manufactured goods to a middleman for compensation. More and more urban women have engaged in such activities during the 1990s, although to avoid being shamed few families willingly admit that women contribute to the family economically. Hence, there is little information about the work women do. On the basis of the predominant fiction that most women do no work other than their domestic chores, the government has been hesitant to adopt overt policies to increase women's employment options and to provide legal support for women's labor force participation.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) commissioned a national study in 1992 on women's economic activity to enable policy planners and donor agencies to cut through the existing myths on female labor-force participation. The study addresses the specific reasons that the assessment of women's work in Pakistan is filled with discrepancies and underenumeration and provides a comprehensive discussion of the range of informal- sector work performed by women throughout the country. Information from this study was also incorporated into the Eighth Five-Year Plan (1993-98).

A melding of the traditional social welfare activities of the women's movement and its newly revised political activism appears to have occurred. Diverse groups including the Women's Action Forum, the All-Pakistan Women's Association, the Pakistan Women Lawyers' Association, and the Business and Professional Women's Association, are supporting small-scale projects throughout the country that focus on empowering women. They have been involved in such activities as instituting legal aid for indigent women, opposing the gendered segregation of universities, and publicizing and condemning the growing incidents of violence against women. The Pakistan Women Lawyers' Association has released a series of films educating women about their legal rights; the Business and Professional Women's Association is supporting a comprehensive project inside Yakki Gate, a poor area inside the walled city of Lahore; and the Orangi Pilot Project in Karachi has promoted networks among women who work at home so they need not be dependent on middlemen to acquire raw materials and market the clothes they produce.

The women's movement has shifted from reacting to government legislation to focusing on three primary goals: securing women's political representation in the National Assembly; working to raise women's consciousness, particularly about family planning; and countering suppression of women's rights by defining and articulating positions on events as they occur in order to raise public awareness. An as yet unresolved issue concerns the perpetuation of a set number of seats for women in the National Assembly. Many women activists whose expectations were raised during the brief tenure of Benaz ir Bhutto's first government (December 1988-August 1990) now believe that, with her return to power in October 1993, they can seize the initiative to bring about a shift in women's personal and public access to power.

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Nigerian Women Agro-entrepreneurship Development: Issues and Challenges

Introduction

Suleiman (2006) defined entrepreneurship as the willingness and ability of an individual to seek for investment opportunities to establish and run an enterprise successfully while Drucker viewed an entrepreneur as a person who perceives business opportunities and takes advantage of the scarce resources and uses them profitably. Entrepreneurs are job creators and/or become self-employed rather than seekers of jobs in an overstretched public service. Using USA standard, a woman-owned enterprise is a small enterprise that is at least 51% owned, managed and operated by one or more women.

A small-scale farming is a farm holding established on a land area of not less than 5 hectares. In Nigeria, most of the small-scale farming enterprises are owned by men. This does not imply that Nigerian women agriculturists are not desirous of expanding their businesses due to so many challenges which border on gender issues, economi c or socio-cultural barriers as well as government unfavourable policies. This paper, a purely descriptive research, employs secondary data to expound on the issues and challenges confronting the development of the Nigerian women to full blown agro- entrepreneurs for national economic advancement. The rest of the discussion in this paper is organized along the following issues;

Womens potentials in entrepreneurial skills.

Why women entrepreneurship development?

Policy Framework for Women Entrepreneurship Development.

Challenges faced by women agro-entrepreneurs.

Strategies for development of women agro-entrepreneurs.

Conclusion.

Womens Potentials in Entrepreneurial Skills

Women in general are naturally endowed with some exceptional abilities, which if properly harnessed for entrepreneurship purpose, could result in positive and enviable results. Women by nature;

v Have creative abilities

v Are blessed with ability to persist and pursue their desires

v Are good and patient nurtures of children, and this tenacity is usually transferred into business

v Are good innovators

v Have ability to develop passion for what they believe in

Waton (undated) cited in Okara (2005) identified the basic requirements of an entrepreneur to include: hardwork, teamwork, commitment, appreciation, listening, high expectations, setting achievable goals. Women, by nature and exposure to family relationships, possess most of these qualities that are essential and can be enhanced for entrepreneurial success.

Why Women Entrepreneurship Development?

Many researchers have shown that poverty is a malady that incapacitates its victim economically and indirectly subject him/her to a state of destitution, vo icelessness, powerlessness and even violence (World Bank 2000; Okojie, 2002) Unfortunately, the most affected sex by the above incapacitation are women and children. Statistics show that women are poorer than men. The UNDP (1995) estimated that, about 60% of the world-poors, are women. Women are poorer because they are more vulnerable economically.

The findings of Thane (1978), Showalter (1987) and Lewis and Piachered (1987) cited in Magaji (2004) showed that women have been the poor sex throughout the 20th Century and have formed a substantial majority of the poor since poverty was first recognized. On why women are the poorest sex, the physical strength of women and various challenges limit them to specific soft duties making it difficult to be enterprising. Entrepreneurship development therefore is a crucial tool for womens economic empowerment.

The benefits derivable from empowering the women folk are far reaching, starting with family advan cement and eventually touching on the national and global economic advancement. According to the Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya H. S. Bungudu, the latest Nigerian census revealed that women constitute 49.9% of the nations population; the underrepresentation of women (2%) in the nations development processes in finance, business and investment fronts renders 40% of the population inadequately positioned to contribute to the economic growth of the country. It is the nation that blends the strengths of women and men that will lead the world in development (Kiyosaki 1993) in the field of agriculture and other sectors.

Entrepreneurship or investing is not an exclusive reserve of any gender. Both women and men generate the same result provided they follow the principles of investment. Kiyosaki (1993) proves with statistical data in United States, that women are better investors than men. A year 2000 National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) study found that women-only clubs achieved average annual returns of 32% since 1951 versus 23% for men-only investment clubs. The verdict is; women know how to handle money and can be greater entrepreneurs than men if the various obstacles to development is removed or minimized.

Policy Framework for Women Entrepreneurship Development

There are neither policies nor strategies for entrepreneurship development that is specifically tailored to women (Olutunla, 2008). The Nigerian governments policy of promoting entrepreneurship dated back to the early 1970s. The hope of promoting small scale enterprises to stimulate entrepreneurship was documented in the 2nd National Development Plan (1970-74). This policy continued in the 3rd (1975-80) and the 4th National Development Plan through various strategies of technical, financial and management of the small scale industries. The Federal Governments concern for the m enacing problem of mass unemployment in the mid-1980s spurred the setting up of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in 1986 and the Work For Yourself Programme (WFYP) in 1987. Both were essentially joint programmes of training and financial support to entrepreneurs. The NDE operations included three core programmes (i) Youth Employment and Vocational Skills Development Program (YEVSDP) (ii) agricultural programs (iii) the small scale industries and graduate employment scheme. The NDE, though starved of fund for some time, has achieved a lot in promoting employment, create wealth and alleviating women poverty. The Better Life for Rural Women Programme (BLRWP) initiative of a first lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Maryam Babangida, was an entrepreneurship development programme specifically for promoting education, health and economic development of women. It made unprecedented contribution to women through the cooperative organizations. The spirit of BLRWP is still operating today through the subsequent first ladies. A number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) also came up to promote entrepreneurship development. Prominent amongst them was the Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) which contributed immensely towards women entrepreneurship development through organization of many cooperatives and micro-credit schemes and in partnership with the United Nations.

The Role of Women in Agriculture

A significant amount of work has been carried out in developing countries on the potential of women in boosting food production. Boserup (1970) described Black Africa as the region of female farming par excellence. FAO (1982) estimated that the rural women contribute two-third of all the time that is put into traditional agriculture in Africa. Accat (1983) also pointed out that 80% of African women are engaged in agriculture. Patel and Antonio (1973) reported that 95% of the Yoru ba women of the Southwestern Nigeria are engaged in farm works, growing yams, maize, tobacco and cassava, poultry and fish farming. They also participate in bush clearing, land preparation and weeding. In addition to their role in production, they are actively engaged in harvesting, processing and marketing of farm produce. The participation of Igbo men in nonfarm activities and waged employment has resulted in an increased workload for women in food crop production as well as a breakdown of the gender division of labor in agriculture. Igbo women now undertake some of the conventional male agricultural tasks in addition to those in the female domain (Ezumah and Di Domenico, 1995). The predominance of women in the small-scale fisheries post-harvest activities: micro-fish retailing, fish processing, fish distribution and marketing, make women the major players in the socio-economic development of the West African countries.

Despite womens extensive and varied participation in agriculture, they continue to have less access to credit and modern agriculture inputs. Consequently, their farm works is labor-intensive, yields meager economic returns (Buvinie and Mehra, 1990) and operate mostly at subsistence level. International Labour Organization (ILO 2003) quoted in Akpera and Sunday (2008) reported that Nigerian and African women entrepreneurs in general are in the micro enterprise sector and almost invisible in the small and medium enterprise categories.

The Challenges of Nigerian Women Agro-Entrepreneurs

Some of the many obstacles that hinder women enterprise development, agribusiness growth and improved income earnings include;

1) Finance

The greatest challenge for Nigerian women in agribusiness is lack of finance. Women in agribusiness need substantial finance both for start-up and expansion. Finance could be in form of equity or from external sources. Equity from informal sources includes personal savings, friends and relatives, traditional (esusu), professional and age-group associations as well as formal co-operative societies.

External finance is majorly from banks (specialized, development, commercial, etc), government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), international donors, etc. Entrepreneurs are expected to provide, in some cases, 25% of fund applied for and/or produce collaterals before accessing these external finances. It has been difficult for women to raise equity for own business because most women interested or engaged in farming earn low income. Many of the commercial or development banks are reluctant to grant agricultural loans due generally to the high agricultural risk factor or because they do not have competent assessors as in the case of fish farming. The high interest rate charged as well as the demand for collateral of landed prope rty or other assets also compound the issue.

Currently, the Microfinance banks (MFB) are the governments latest major organ of policy for entrepreneurship finance in Nigeria. In an ongoing research conducted recently, it was discovered that male to female application and approval by MFB are in the ratio 65% to 35%. This discrepancy was linked to women entrepreneurs approaching banks on an individual basis and lack of soundly written business plan and/or feasibility studies (Olutunla, 2008).

2) Manpower and Education

The whole business be- it agricultural or any other, revolves around the entrepreneur (visionary) as she combines all other human, financial and material resources to create an enterprise of value. The chief executive of the business outfit must be knowledgeable to effectively mobilize resources to advantage. Agribusiness at small or medium scale is highly professional, technologically driven and require some level of edu cation. Education not only provides basic knowledge and skills to improve health and Iivelihood, but it empowers women to take their rightful place in society and the development process (Fasokun 2000).

Entrepreneurial education seems to be the major key policy to promote entrepreneurship development for women in Nigeria. Entrepreneurship education should be inculcated into school curriculum at all levels. Research indicates that Small and Medium Enterprise Industrial Empowerment Scheme (SMEIES) operators ranked the reasons for failure of entrepreneurs application for loans and came up with reasons that range from bad feasibility studies, poor management skills, lack of proper accounting, poor character checks and attitudes among others. All these are challenges that can be remedied by entrepreneurship education. Even as the 93 approved Nigerian universities have adopted entrepreneurial studies, funds and the dearth of teachers to train the stu dents has remained an obstacle.

A number of current training centers/programs are urban-based, for example, the Industrial Development Centers established in the 1960s are urban-based. Small Medium Entrepreneurial Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) aimed at facilitating credit, technology markets, capacity building, training and technical support for SMEs and provide adequate linkage with women bodies is urban-based and starved of funds. Agribusiness is rural-based and better educated farmers are more likely to adopt new technologies and have access to credit and extension services (Adereti, 2000).

3) Technology

Many women, due to lack of exposure and financial limitations, still make use of old technology in farming, processing and preservation thus leading to drudgery and low output.

4) Cultural Restrictions/Weak Land Rights:

The Nigerian culture cannot be described as being gender friendly. For example, the Kule policy in the North where married women are forbidden from going out of the house in daylight for business is an initiative/development-killer policy that should be discouraged in this 21st Century. In Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, where women have prime responsibility for food production, they are generally limited to user rights to land and subject to the consent of a male relative (FAO, 1982). Culture and social practices discriminate against women to be enterprise successors/inheritors or own independent assets which could easily serve as collaterals. Such unequal land rights are reflected in the smaller land sizes of women farmers thus limiting them economically.

5) Lack of Equipment and Appropriate Technology

Despite womens extensive and varied participation in agriculture, they continue to have less access to modern agriculture inputs. Consequently, women agro-entrepreneurs work under very difficult and lab orious conditions, using crude traditional technology. Technology is closely related to finance and education. Nigerian women entrepreneurs, especially in agriculture, work under very difficult and laborious conditions, using crude traditional technology. There is urgent need for provision of modern, cost effective and affordable technologies for the use of women.

Moreover, some new technology has often been inappropriate to womens needs. There is a need to define some priority actions to promote the role of women in the economy because it has been showed that women are productive and efficient when they have access to the right technologies and opportunities.

6) Erroneous Ideas about Women and Credit

There are certain myths about women in respect to credit which have made them to remain poor and limited their entrepreneurial prospects. One of such myths is that poor women make poor credit risks. This is being proved wrong as Olutunla (2008) reported that Nigerian women have been found to be more faithful in terms of loan repayment to Banks than men.

7) Entrepreneurial Attitude

According to Akpa (2007), an average entrepreneur is rugged and aggressive. These are common attributes of men while most women are of the gentle and kind disposition. Men tend to focus on gettingthe job done while women tend to focus on being more inclusive and relational. If a woman entrepreneur is to succeed, she must adopt some level of ruggedness and aggressiveness. Success is not gender-friendly.

8) Research and Extension Services

For a long time, agronomic researchers do not pay attention to the role of women in the farming system. Research into the activities of women in agriculture is gaining attention only recently. A survey in Ogun State, Nigeria (Elabor-Idemudia, 1991) and Osun State, Nigeria (Ogbimi and Williams, 1999) revealed that Extension Agents visited between 7- 10% of women farmers every week compared to 70% of the male farmers who received weekly visits. An FAO (1989) study found government investment on agriculture represented less than half the sectors contribution to national income, therefore, it is reasonable to guess that womens access to extension services and training especially in the area of fish farming, processing, packaging, distribution and marketing are unlikely to improve when the overall funding and availability of services is declining.

9) Misplaced Focus

Many agricultural projects and programs are not suited to the special circumstances of women or may not reach women at all, thus truncating the intended effort to increase food production.

10) Market and Marketing

Due to lack of good roads in Nigeria, electricity, poor access to information and poor networking, many farm produce perish thus discouraging women farmers.

Strategies for Women Agro-Entrepreneurship Development

The complementary policy issues in entrepreneurship education should include increasing women enrolment in schools at all levels especially in the field of agriculture to reduce gender inequality. Budgetary allocation should be made to accommodate more continuing and vocational education.

More seminars/workshops should be sponsored and extended to rural areas to increase womens capacity to start and grow their agribusiness, prepare sound business plan/feasibility studies and increase their technical and managerial capacity in agribusiness.

Modern processing plants/storage facilities should be installed for women groups on government/private joint partnership basis so that women can process and store their farm produce with ease.

The enabling environment in terms of gender-friendly policies, good roads, pipe-borne water and electricity should be provided by the various a rms of government.

Cooperatives and women groups should be more formally instituted and encouraged among women to position them strategically to access fund and other inputs with ease.

The Government should mandate the commercial Banks to produce more gender-friendly loan packages (low interest rates and more relaxed duration of repayment).

Women should be exposed to the latest agro-technology from time to time to remove drudgery in farming, processing and preservation techniques.

Nigerian women should be encouraged to network more, both at the national and international levels for more exposure, to access fund and export information.

Agro-extension institutions should be boosted and more women extension agents be trained to reduce women to extension workers ratio and for wider coverage of women agriculturists.

Conclusion

Nigerias vision of becoming one o f the top twenty leading economies of the world by the year 2020, otherwise known simply as vision 20:20 appears compelling enough to energize its over 150 million people (nearly half of which are women) to make the vision a reality. To accomplish this laudable goal, there is urgent need to pay attention to the development of agro-women entrepreneurs so that they can take their place in family advancement and national economic development. The government and development/change agencies must not only be prepared to recognize the economic role of the women but must also extend to them the same recognition and facilities as the men are enjoying.

REFERENCES

Accat, E.C. (1983): Womens Role in Horticultural Production in Developing Countries A Paper presented at F.A.O. Expert Consultation on Women in Food Production. Rome, Italy. 7-14 December, pp. 3-7.

Adereti F.O. (2000): Poverty Alleviating Strategies for Rur al Women in Osun State. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, University of Ibadan , pp.36-37.

Akpa A. (2007): Challenges of the Nigerian entrepreneur in the twenty-first century. A paper presented at the maiden Annual College of Management Sciences Seminar, University of Mkar. 10p

Akpera D.M. and Sunday M. (2008): Strategies for the development of entrepreneurs in Nigeria. A paper presented at the 3-day International workshop on Promoting Entrepreneurship Education Among Nigeria women: Issues and Approaches Abuja 12p

Boserup, E. (1970): Womens Role in Economic Development. St. Martino Press New York, George Allen and Unwin Ltd.

Buvinie, M. and Mehra, R. (1990): Women in Agriculture: What Development can do. ICRW (International Centre for Research on Women) Pp. 3-5.

Elabor-Idemudia, P. (1991): Impact of Structural Adjustment Programs on Women and their Household

in Bendel and Ogun States, Nigeria. In: Structur al Adjustment and West African Women Farmers, Christina H. Gladwin (ed.), Gainesville, University of Florida, p128-150

Ezumah N. N. and Di Domenico C. M. (1995):Enhancing the role of women in crop production: A case study of Igbo women in Nigeria. World Development, 23(10), p1731-1744.


References and further reading may be available for this article. To view references and further reading you must purchase this article.

Fasokun, T.O. (200-): The role of education in poverty eradication. In Education for the Millennium Development Vol.1 Eds; M. Boucouvalas and R. Aderinoye. Spectrum Books Ltd., Ibadan pg.459-475

Food and Agricultural Organization (1982): Role of Women in Agricultural Production. FAO, Rome pg.5

Food and Agricultural Organization (1989): Effects of Stabilization and Structural Adjustment

Programmes on Food Security. Committee on World Food Security, Fourteenth Session, Ro me, Italy, 3-7 April 1987.

Kiyosaki, T.R. (1993):If you want to be Rich and Happy, Dont Go to School (Fair field: Aslan publishing)

Ogbimi G. E. and and Williams S. B. (1999): Gender Sensitivity and Marginalized Group: Assessment

of Availability of Productive Assets to Women in Agricultural Development. Unpublished Paper. 14p.

Okojie, C.E.E. (2002): Globalization and the Womens Enterprises; Opportunity and Challenges. UNIFEM Women Entrepreneurs Forum. Lagos

Olutunla G.T. (2008): Policy Framework and Strategy for Entrepreneurship Development of Nigerian Women. A paper presented at the 3-day International workshop on Promoting Entrepreneurship Education Amongst Nigerian Women: Issues and Approaches Abuja. 15p

Magaji, S. (2004): Introduction to Project Evaluation. Sanitex Press. Abuja

Patel, A.U. and Anthonio, Q.B.O. (1973): Farmers Wives in Agricultural Development: The Nigerian Case Pa per presented at XV International Congress of Agricultural Economists. August 20-29, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Suleiman, A.S. (2006): The Business Entrepreneur; Entrepreneurial Development, Small and Medium Enterprises, 2nd Edition, Entrepreneurship Academy Publishing, Kaduna.

World Bank (2000): Nigeria at a glance. The World Bank, Washington D.C

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Healthy Women Happy Women

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You can begin eating vegetables and foods with more protein. An organic food is much recommended, this food are without any modified organisms and produced without any fertilizers and artificial pesticides. While we are concerned about our food let's talk about water. Water therapy is a good thing because our blood, digestive juices, bones and muscle is consist of water. Water is a a valuable thing for our body.
Don't forget about your diet, woman! Stop eating processed, junk and artificial foods. Never skip your daily meals. You will find your self eating more than the usual. Eat at least half of your plate for the whole meal but not skip meals, that is more better.

Don't forget to exercise and transfer these foods to energy. Exercises vary from men and women. Women, during exercise needs to provide more support for their bust line. Women wants to burn abdominal but if they need to exercise bigger muscles in their body in order to activate their metabolism. Weight training for women can improve the strength and performance of abdominal muscles.

Vice in a any form is still a no no. According to some research, female smokers are more prone to get diseases than male smokers. If you are pregnant, it is a must to stop it. Breast cancer, according to studies, are more visible with women smokers than those who don't smoke.

What about women's skin? Tr y to put sunscreen everytime you are reveal to the sun. Sun can give you wrinkles and speeds up your aging.

Sleeping is the best key for a pro-active women. If women don't get enough sleep at night they will have a sluggish day ahead of them. Furthermore, sleeping renew our body making them it victorious in fighting sickness and diseases. You must consume at least 7 hours to 8 hours of sleep everyday. If you really can't sleep, have some another solution like alteril sleep aid.

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