WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Volume 11, No. 1, March, 2026
Pages 43-54
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/6202.11.0140
WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: GENDERED NARRATIVES IN THE NIGER DELTA OIL SCAPE
Boroh Iwekumo Arabella
Department of Political Science, Niger Delta University, Delta State, Nigeria
Abstract
Women in the Niger Delta region face significant environmental challenges due to oil exploration and production activities, including pollution, ecosystem degradation, and marginalization. These challenges impact women’s caregiving roles, community leadership positions, and overall well-being. Despite these obstacles, women have been actively engaged in environmental activism, community resilience efforts, and sustainable resource management initiatives. The study utilizes a qualitative research approach, including in-depth interviews, participant observations, and focus group discussions with women actively involved in environmental care practices in the region. The study set out to explore the role of women in environmental conservation and sustainable development in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The study is guided by a feminist environmental framework, focusing on the intersectionality of gender, environment, and social justice. It aims to uncover the gendered narratives surrounding women’s care for the environment in the context of the oil-rich Niger Delta. The thematic analysis of the data reveals key insights into the gendered dimensions of women’s environmental care practices in the Niger Delta. Themes such as the impact of oil exploration on women’s caregiving roles and community leadership, women-led initiatives for sustainable resource management, cultural connections shaping women’s environmental consciousness, and women’s contributions to environmental activism and environmental discourse emerge from the analysis. The study highlights the need to hold oil companies accountable, provide education and training for women, support women-led initiatives among others.
Keywords: Gendered narratives, environmental care, sustainability