Background

Gender studies have become increasingly vital in understanding the complexities of social, cultural, and political dynamics. Gender as defined by Canning (2006) is "a category of social analysis that denotes the relational character of sexual difference". After developing from the early feminist movements to include a wide range of interdisciplinary approaches, the study of gender has become an important area within academic scholarship. The early feminist movements, especially the first and second waves, are largely responsible for the origins of gender studies. Academics such as Simone de Beauvoir ("The Second Sex," 1949) and Betty Friedan ("The Feminine Mystique," 1963) established the foundation for comprehending gender as a social construct and examining its effects on women's lives (politics, education, sexuality, economy and more). It emerged from the field of Women's Studies (in the 1960s) and rose to prominence in 1990s, especially in Western universities coinciding with the age of deconstruction (Gottschall, 2002).

Scholarly demonstrations challenging the class and sex traditions, which were perceived to favour one sex over the other, were common during the 1960s and 1980s. Feminist historians and scientists, for example, questioned the unequal status distribution between men and women and aimed to create a society that was accessible for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, in all spheres of society. Gender studies have expanded to encompass men, women, and children, despite the term "gender" being most commonly associated with women. In keeping with this, the UN Women, or United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment for Women, was established in 2010 with the goal of addressing and advancing gender equality and women empowerment. The United Nations' charter makes clear that gender equality and equity were central to the organisation from the start. The charter sets forth the UN's goal as "to achieve international cooperation... in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion." Moreover, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," (to which Nigeria is signatory and captured in the Nigerian Constitution “Fundamental Human Rights”) promotes gender equality and serves as a catalyst for the growth of gender studies programmes across international borders. Given this context and the growing consciousness of gender equality and equity, it is imperative that universities incorporate gender as an integral and interdependent entity for institutional and societal development, particularly in Nigeria where knowledge of these issues is still low. The Federal University Lokoja Institute of Gender Studies will act as a conduit for the university's expansion and a symbol of its scholarly and globally acknowledged standing.

The Federal University Lokoja was established in 2011. The university's guiding principle and philosophy is to offer comprehensive, multidisciplinary programmes for the development of human resources and education while taking into account the particular higher education needs of the local population and its sociocultural makeup. Federal University Lokoja has advanced in terms of structure, student enrollment, and workforce size based on this guiding concept. The original take-off campus was unable to keep up with the swift expansion of programmes, the labour force, and the student body. This led to the expansion of the university with the new permanent site, which houses more faculties, two institutes of  Governance and Development Studies and Distance Learning, rapidly expanding Colleges of Postgraduate Studies and Health Sciences, and many others. Therefore, in order to advance and improve a more equitable world, it is necessary to supplement this progress in the field of gender studies that is led by the goals, vision, and mission of Federal University Lokoja, which embrace the many concerns of gender inequality.

Institute of Gender Studies

Global agencies and society at large have consistently addressed gender issues arising from cultural differences and human presumptions that are institutionalised by social constructions of a particular setting. However, as communities expand, these problems that test gender parity and embrace diversity have taken on a complexity resembling a hydra. The complexity of a pluralistic society implies that, as a result of technological determinism that "robotizes" people and their behaviour, the  post-humanist societies are becoming less humanistic and more prosthetic. Thus, a variety of stories and accounts of gender abuse, violations of girls' rights, sexualities, identity issues, trauma, insecurity, food scarcity, earthquakes, floods, social violence, displacement, psychoanalytic division, ethnic violence, kidnapping and trafficking, climate change, and economic collapse, plague every society. These social, political, and economic challenges have gender consequences or impacts, yet they are gender neutral. They affect both males and females and engage global societies as signs of a failed world for human habitation. The inability to offer resolutions and the United Nations' yearly (unachieved) gender mission foreground the view that an equitable gender world is not within the constituents of learning but of actions. Thus, the Federal University Lokoja Institute of Gender Studies proposes an umbrella of activities relating to gender equity as a part of addressing these unending social malaises and also impacting her catchment areas, drawing from the United Nations Gender Mission.

Gender studies are intrinsically interdisciplinary, drawing on subjects such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, history, literature, and others. An institute dedicated to gender studies can promote cross-departmental collaboration, improving academic debate and research projects. A Gender Studies Institute can act as a community engagement hub, providing materials, workshops, and events that promote gender equality and social justice. This participation goes beyond the academic campus, establishing significant connections with local communities. Establishing a specialised institute will allow for cutting-edge research in gender studies. Faculty and students can collaborate on research initiatives, bringing new perspectives and answers to important gender issues. The university's emphasis on gender studies displays its dedication to diversity and inclusiveness

In light of a number of gender-related issues, including child trafficking, gender-based violence, the progressive exodus of agro-economic women, feminization of poverty, women's alienation in politics, and gender inequality, the FUL Institute of Gender Studies is proposed as a means of achieving the objectives of gender development, equity, and mainstreaming. The institute would be research-based. It will be a gender-neutral training, empowerment, and research institute that supports connections, networks, and cooperation in studies and linkages on current gender-related topics. The institution, which is long overdue, would be a collection of divisions devoted to studies, research, training, interventions, and, most crucially, partnerships on gender advocacy rather than a centre for gender studies. It shall, however, be autonomous in finance and research activities.

The FUL IGS will be divided into functional units that oversee different strands of gender issues. The units would be sub-divided  into more specific and cohesive forms, such as:

• Women's Sexualities/Studies
• Men's Sexualities/Studies
• Child and Family Affairs/Studies
• Social Welfare and Child Protection
• Human Trafficking and Abuse Prevention
• Gender-based Violence and Abuse Intervention
• Internally Displaced Persons
• Women in Politics and Leadership
• Women's Empowerment and Welfare
• Agroeconomic and Women/Farming Rights
• Gender-based Research and Advocacy
• Men and Women with Disabilities
• Advocacy against Feminization of Poverty
• Media Network and Advocacy
• Open-Access Publications on Gender Issues

Women Studies

This unit shall focus on women's studies, sexualities, strands of identity, and helping women to define their personhood through lecture series, economic empowerment, and family affairs. It shall explore gender as a social construct, study women's status in the catchment areas, and importantly document cultural expressions of women (identity, sexuality, groups, family, economy, political interests) in the catchment area for publication and research purposes. In addition, this unit may extend to other contemporary interests which include the:

• Role of gender in shaping power dynamics in society
• Impact of gender on career and economic opportunity
• Relationship between gender and violence
• Experience of women in different cultures and historical periods
• Women and sexuality
• Women and the media
• Women and health
• Gender and economic and political developments.

Men's Sexuality/Studies

This unit shall focus on men’s studies, sexualities, and identity. It shall relatively explore the social construction of masculinity and the impact of gender on men's lives. Beyond that, there are documented research of male sexual and identity violations, rape, abuse, and rights violations. This unit shall attend to issues based on masculinity and raise campaigns and awareness that must include but not be limited to:

• The history of masculinity and its evolution.
• Social expectations and pressures.
• Men's workplace experiences and family.
• Men's health and wellness
• Male violence and violation.
• Men and gender movement.
• Men and gender-based violence and abuse.
• Men's sexuality and identity.
• Male Body and Media Representation.
  
  

Child and Family Studies

This unit shall focus on issues related to gender and sexuality within the context of child development, parenting, identity, sexuality, and family dynamics. Some potential campaign strategies in this specialization would include:

• Gender and Child Development
• Gender and Parenting
• Family Systems and Gender Identity
• Gender and Child Welfare
• Gender and Family Law

Social Welfare and Child Protection

The Institute of Gender Studies will include a specialization in social welfare and child protection. This would focus on issues related to the well-being of children and families, and the role of the state in providing support and protection. This unit shall be an intermediate advocate for conflict resolution, government interface on policy and protection:

• Child Protection Policy
• Child Welfare Law
• Child and Family Services
• Social Work and Child Welfare
• Social Policy and Gender

Human Trafficking and Abuse Prevention

This unit is very important and dynamic in the function that encompasses a few other units. It will work with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking and the Diaspora Agency. The Institute of Gender Studies shall focus on issues such as:

• Global trafficking of women and children
• Domestic violence and child abuse
• Human rights and gender-based violence
• Prevention and intervention strategies
• Public policy and gender-based violence
• Law enforcement and social services in prevention and intervention.

Gender-Based Violence and Abuse Prevention

Gender-based violence and abuse prevention is a critical issue that needs to be addressed in Nigeria. This specialisation within the Institute of Gender Studies would help to develop policies and programs that address the root causes of violence and abuse and work to prevent future incidents from occurring. This could be done through a variety of courses that will award diplomas to targeted attendees from CNGOs, NGOs, Policymakers, Politicians, and a host of others in areas such as:

• The Psychology of Abuse
• Violence Prevention in Schools
• Gender, Violence, and the Media
• Gender, Constitutional Rights, and Social Justice
• Men and Gender-Based Violence.

Internally Displaced Persons

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are another important area of focus that shall be explored within the Institute of Gender Studies. This would include outreaches that focus on:

• The rights of IDPs under international law.
• The role of the United Nations and other international organizations in protecting IDPs.
• Gender-specific issues affecting IDPs, such as sexual violence and reproductive health.
• The impact of displacement on children and families.
• The reintegration of IDPs into their home communities.

IDPs often face unique challenges and require specific policies and programs to address their needs.

Women in Politics and Leadership

The role of women in politics and leadership is a critical area of study within the Institute of Gender Studies. This will offer diploma courses in addition to social campaigns on women in Politics and leadership:

• Women and political participation
• The barriers to female political participation
• Women's leadership and strategies
• Cross-cultural exploration of Women in leadership
• Women's political activism and social movements.

Women's Empowerments and Welfare

This unit shall run outreaches, training, seminars, workshops, and diploma courses in these areas such as:

• Empowerment and gender equality
• The Dimensions of Empowerment (economic, social, and political).
• Gender-sensitive policies and programs.
• Networking and Community-based Empowerment.
• Empowerment and women's health and well-being.
• Gender, Language, and Media.
• Media Representation and (Dis) Empowerment.

Gender-based Research and Advocacy

The Institute shall set a unit to explore and advocate on:

• The principles of gender-sensitive research.
• The use of gender-sensitive data collection and analysis methods.
• Gender-based advocacy and policy development.
• The role of advocacy in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.
• Women in STEM: challenges and opportunities.
• Civil society organizations and other actors in gender-based advocacy.

Advocacy against Feminization of Poverty

This is sub-unit is integral in the discourse and advocacy for gender equality and inclusion. The feminization of poverty stems from cultural assumptions and it ranges from psychological to sociological and literary representations and indoctrination. This unit will work with the media Network and Advocacy sub-unit to stage campaigns on cultural biases of poverty in areas such as: marriage, self-esteem, organisations, marketplaces, male-female perceptions, and many  more.

Media Network and Advocacy

There is no underestimating the mediatic power of technology determinism: the message and the medium. In this vein, this unit is intended to be a hub of all activities of IGS. It will interface between the different units, their activities and the media. That is, it shall anchor gender activism, engagements and academic scores of IGS to the local, national and global societies.

Each of these units shall be managed by academics in such specialised areas with proven scholarships. Moreover, IGS shall interface, collaborate and partner in research, workshop, advocacy with both national and international organisations, whose agenda and philosophy cover all the aforementioned areas of interests. These relevant organizations include:

• United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• World Bank Group
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• African Union Commission (AUC)
• Women Advocacy and Research Development Centre (WARDC)
• IFADS/WEAGov
• National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) .
• Women Affairs and Social Development.
• Nigeria First Ladies and Pro-gender equity advocacy groups and individuals.

National Television Authority (local channels, daily Newspapers and Social media handles)