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Vincent Igene

'Impact of Satellite Viewing on Women in the Sharia Practicing States of Nigeria'

The beginning of the 1990s saw a massive change, both conceptual and practical, in the application of satellite communication to broadcasting. This newly emerged phenomenon of satellite network not only turns the entire world into a global village; in Africa it also completely changed the concept of television viewing. And Nigeria is no exception. Today an average Nigerian household in all major urban cities and towns has access to more than a dozen satellite channels. Ordinarily, it is expected that this development will entertain, inform and educate our viewers, which of course include our women in the Sharia practicing states of Nigeria. This practice of Sharia creates some conflicts in this regard because it strictly goes against the supposed advantages of satellite viewing. Sharia laws as they stand today are very hard on women, hence this paper will, amongst other things, look at the changes, if any, in the lives of women in the Sharia practicing states of Nigeria, who have access to satellite viewing. To go about this, the paper will attempt an exploration of how the satellite channels are impacting upon these women's personal growth and empowerment in terms of demands in relation to their liberation, education, gender relations and realities.

Bio: Vincent Igene is currently working as a Computer Technologist at the Edo State House of Assembly in Nigeria. He is also a Research Fellow at the EDVAC Institute for Research and Technological Development. He has a Master of Business Administration; a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science; and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Statistics.

<vin_igene@yahoo.com>