ABSTRACT
This chapter shares insights into responding to the needs of women students in Nigerian higher education (HE), particularly in relation to those with parenting and other caring responsibilities. Intersecting identities as women and carers present students with particular experiences of marginalisation and exclusion that require inclusivity strategies that warrant further attention. The chapter indicates good practices and potential directions for university and sector leaders, focussing on this intersection. Wide-ranging factors can lead to women students dropping out or not achieving their full potential with implications for them and their families’ futures, for wider communities, society and broader gender equity goals. Our team undertook surveys of academic staff and students to gain insights into the needs of women in HE in Nigeria, including those with caring responsibilities, and here we draw on their voices, perspectives and concerns in making a case for change. Thematic analyses in tandem with an in-depth literature review were undertaken, attending to barriers to participation and identifying interlocking material, cultural, emotional and academic challenges. Our analysis includes suggestions for furthering equitable participation for women in higher education institution, particularly in relation to intersections with care and material inequalities.
