Theatre and economic empowerment of rural women in Bayelsa state: The adagbabiri experiment

Before October 1 1996, the geographic location presently known as Bayelsa state was part of the old Rivers state. When in 1996 it became one of the five states to be created in Nigeria, the gross underdevelopment that had been concealed by her being part of a larger entity was brought to the fore. It dawned on all stakeholders that there was urgent need to address the under development in the state. Various development mechanisms have been adopted to ensure growth in the state. Some succeeded while some failed. Today signs of development are evident in parts of the state. While the state still has a long way to go in achieving tangible sustainable development, efforts are being made to get there. But in the midst of the seeming development, the majority of the women folk especially those in rural Bayelsa are not reaping the dividends of development transforming their state. This paper highlights the predicament of the rural Bayelsa woman and some of the challenges and factors militating against her development. The instrument of theatre is here presented as a tool to awaken and empower her to take charge of her life in the face of apparent neglect. The paper presents a Theatre-for-Development workshop that took place in Adagbabiri a community in Bayelsa state. The impact of that workshop on the target group will be used to ascertain the efficacy of theatre as an effective tool in the empowerment of rural women.