 Three young Wodaabe women in Niger photographed in 1997. | |
| General Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Maternal mortality (per 100,000) | 590 (2010) |
| Women in parliament | 15% (2017)[1] |
| Women over 25 with secondary education | 2.5% (2012) |
| Women in labour force | 69% (2017)[2] |
| Gender Inequality Index[3] | |
| Value | 0.611 (2021) |
| Rank | 153rd out of 191 |
| Global Gender Gap Index[4] | |
| Value | 0.635 (2022) |
| Rank | 128th out of 146 |
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| Women in society |
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Women in Niger are women that are from or live in the West African country of Niger. These women belong to a population in which 98% are practitioners of Islam.[citation needed] Laws adopted by the government of Niger to protect the rights of Nigerien women are most often based on Muslim beliefs.
Nigerien women, not to be confused with Nigerian women, fall into a variety of ethnic groups. Among the largest ethnic groups are the Hausa women, the Fulani women, the Zarma–Songhai women, and the Tuareg women. Hausa women of Niger can be identified by their dressing codes in which they wear wrappers called abaya made from colorful cloth with a matching blouse, head tie and shawl.[citation needed]
Traditional practices are still common in Niger. Family life for young women can be a definite challenge in the primarily Islamic nation. Some of these practices have detrimental effects on the country's well-being, such as the continuation of poverty and illiteracy.
A public holiday in Niger known as the National Day of Nigerien Women (Journée nationale de la femme nigérienne), held annually on 13 May, commemorates a 1992 march by women in Niamey during the National Conference period demanding greater involvement of women in national institutions. It is a holiday that became a "National Commemoration" on 25 November 1992.[citation needed]
- ^ "Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%) | Data".
- ^ "Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (Modeled ILO estimate) | Data".
- ^ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORTS. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "Global Gender Gap Report 2022" (PDF). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 1 March 2023.