Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

“Who Hears The Cry Of The Wailing Women?”: Discourses On Livelihood Activities And The Challenges Of Internally Displaced Women In Nigeria, Seun Bamidele, Innocent Pikirayi

Journal of International Women's Studies

In this paper, we examine the livelihoods and daily challenges of internally displaced women (IDW) in the New Kuchingoro Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Abuja, Nigeria. We discuss strategies that have the potential to help create successful livelihoods, and we listen to the views of displaced women on how effective they think these strategies might be. We also examine the social and economic factors forcing IDW to develop resilience and highlight the dire social burdens which these women carry with them. Previous studies concerning livelihood activities of IDW in IDPs camps have emphasized distress, hardship, neediness, deprivation, and general …

Women, Security, And Gender-Based Violence In The Northeast, Nigeria, Abidemi Abiola Isola, Adeogun Tolulope

Journal of International Women's Studies

Gender-based violence is inevitable in every armed conflict zone. To survive, every human being, including women and girls, requires security. In armed conflict zones, however, women and girls are more vulnerable to the dangers of insecurity. These difficulties may influence them physically, psychologically, economically, and educationally. They may also have to live with the effects of their trauma for the rest of their lives. The effects of the Boko Haram insurgency on women’s security in Nigeria’s northeast are the subject of this study. This investigation relied on structural violence theory. It’s a meta-analytical study based on secondary sources like books, …

Women’S Empowerment And The Well-Being Of The Unemployed Women In Yakurr, Nigeria, Achoda Thomas Omang, John Thompson Okpa, Ofem Nnana Okoi

Journal of International Women's Studies

Issues on women’s deprivation, marginalization and empowerment are well documented in literature. The impact of women’s empowerment on the well-being of unemployed women in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, is yet to receive sufficient investigation from scholars. Thus, this study explores the relationship between women’s empowerment and the well-being of the unemployed women, aged 18-45 years in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. It specifically examines the types and access to available women’s empowerment programmes, the nature of empowerment programmes that women have benefitted from, as well as areas of positive impact in …

Social Construction Of Female Infertility: A Qualitative Study Of Women With Female Factor Infertility Diagnosis, Oluwakemi Shade Iwelumor, Shariffah Suraya Syed Jamaludin, Kunle Seun Babatunde

Journal of International Women's Studies

Infertility, though a global reproductive problem, is uniquely constructed within different socio-cultural contexts. This study explored the social construction of the meaning of infertility among women by focusing on a sample of married women with female factor infertility diagnoses experiencing primary infertility in Kwara South, Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Nine women were recruited through the snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis with Atlas.ti 8. The findings are presented in three themes: ‘when delay becomes a problem,’ ‘confirming suspicion,’ and ‘defining the situation.’ By exploring the perceptions of infertile …

“It Is Not Breasts Or Vaginas That Women Use To Wash Dishes”: Gender, Class, And Neocolonialism Through The Women In Nigeria Movement (1982-1992), Sara Panata

Journal of International Women's Studies

The first self-declared Nigerian feminist organization was founded under the name of Women in Nigeria (WIN) at a meeting in Zaria in May 1982. WIN was a left-wing movement including women and men. This article seeks to shed light on knowledge production in the field of feminism and gender studies in Nigeria, focusing on WIN’s texts and discourses. Approaching knowledge production from the perspective of social history, my analysis examines the biographical trajectories of the association’s activists, the ways in which their journeys influenced the use of global knowledge and the production of “situated knowledges”, and how intellectual work operated …

Acceptable Minimum Threshold Of Universal Access To Social Services For Women In Nigeria: A Review Of Selected Issues In The National Gender Policy, Oko Chima Enworo, Vivian Chizoma Njemanze

Journal of International Women's Studies

Efforts at guaranteeing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria reached its crescendo with the approval of the National Gender Policy (NGP) in 2006 by the Federal Executive Council, which came into effect in 2007. Objective 5 target (a) of the policy seeks to provide equal opportunities for women [and men] to enjoy and attain an acceptable minimum threshold of universal access to potable water and sanitation, electricity, transportation, and general security of life and property by the year 2015. At present, very few reviews have been done on that policy target. As a result, this paper adopts a literature …

Non-Utilization Of Primary Healthcare Centres For Skilled Pregnancy Care Among Women In Rural Communities In Delta State, Southern Nigeria: Perspectives From Mothers, Fathers, And Healthcare Providers, Rolle Remi Ahuru, Osaretin Godpower Okungbowa, Judith Omon Iseghohi, Efegbere Henry Akpojubaro

Journal of International Women's Studies

The study examines the barriers to maternal care utilization in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in eight randomly-select rural communities in Delta State, Southern Nigeria using qualitative methods. The study is a qualitative exploratory research design. From July 2018 to February 2019, ten focus group discussions (FGDs) and five key informant interviews (KIIs) were held in different locations in the communities. FGDs were held among married women and men in the communities. KIIs were conducted among health services providers. Recorded voices were transcribed in full and analyzed using literary methods. It was observed that a greater number of deliveries were supervised …

Media Representation Of Nigerian Women In The News: Evidence From Selected Newspapers, Jonah Alice Aladi, Nnanyelugo Okoro

Journal of International Women's Studies

The aim of this study was to examine newspaper representations of women. To do so, the researchers examined four newspapers that were nationally circulated. The four newspapers examined were Vanguard, the Punch, The Guardian, and ThisDay. The duration of the study was three years (January 1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2017). The study sought to achieve three objectives and tested two null hypotheses. The design that was utilized to conduct the study was content analysis while data were collected through the use of a code sheet. In the analysis of the collected data, the researcher deployed simple percentages to describe …

Domestic Violence Against Women In The Nigerian Rural Context, Chisaa O. Igbolekwu, Ogadimma Arusukwu, Joseph N. Nwogu, Bamidele Rasak, Festus Asamu, Ngozi O. Osueke

Journal of International Women's Studies

The problem of domestic violence is not new to African societies. This study focused on the remote causes and implications of domestic violence among rural women. The study adopted a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. The respondents were selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Findings revealed that 82.3% of the respondents agree that the economic dependence of women on men is among the major causes of domestic violence, while 52.3% of respondents believe that their communities encourage and tolerate some abusive behavior. A total of 61.5% of the respondents posit that religious and traditional …

Women And Evolution Of Cultural Practices Among The Igbo Of Nigeria, Christian C. Opata, Apex A. Apeh, Asogwa S. Odoja, Alaku Emmanuel

Journal of International Women's Studies

Studies on Igbo women have ignored the part played by either fear of women or respect for them in the evolution of festivals and some customary practices. Embedded in this neglect is the non-recognition of their contribution to the development of their societies. However, evidence that some cultural practices evolved out of fear of women and respect for them by the men abounds as manifest in the evolution of some spirit being institutions, memorialisation of women’s war exploits, and veneration of kola nut. Anchored on extensive field investigation, the application of historical narrative and qualitative research method, this study traced …

Women And The Upsurge Of ‘‘Baby Factories’’ In Southeastern Nigeria: Erosion Of Cultural Values Or Capitalism?, Uche U. Okonkwo, Ngozika A. Obi-Ani

Journal of International Women's Studies

The erection and proliferation of baby factories constitute one of the major injustices directed at women especially teenage girls in southeastern Nigeria. Under this arrangement, women are incarcerated for the purpose of procreation alone. A litany of scholarly works has been written on this subject, placing the blame for this impunity, in Nigeria on the capitalist system. This paper insists that beyond capitalism, there is a need to interrogate the cultural erosion of values mostly responsible for this scourge. To achieve this, newspapers, interviews, archival materials and other extant secondary sources have been used for data collection, analysis and for …

Herbert Macaulay As The Father Of Nigeria’S Nationalism: A Historical Misnomer And Misogyny Regarding The Role Of Igbo Women In The Decolonization Process, Uche U. Okonkwo

Journal of International Women's Studies

For over six decades of Nigeria's independence, history has continued to place the role of women in the decolonization process in Nigeria in a state of oblivion. Such obloquy on Nigerian women is the primary concern of this research. This paper raises questions on the impositions of Herbert Macaulay as the father of Nigerian nationalism. Historical evidence points to the direction that King Jaja of Opobo, Nana of itshekiri and Oba Ovaranwen, were the pioneer nationalists because of their resistance struggle against British colonial rule. Yet they were not acclaimed fathers of the nationalist movement in Nigeria. With the huge …

Who Is Afraid Of ẸfúNṣetáN AníWúRà? Performing Power In Yoruba Masculinist Oligarchy, Omolola A. Ladele, Abimbola O. Oyinlola

Journal of International Women's Studies

The iconic Yoruba female personage of Ẹfúnṣetán Aníwúrà has, in several studies, been vilified; and at a first glance, it would seem that Akinwunmi Isola’s eponymous protagonist and heroine of that play reinforces the image of a villainous, wicked and self-centred woman. Contextualized within the Yoruba socio-political and economic national narratives of the late18^th and early 19^th centuries, this image appears both problematic and complexly contradictory. It is therefore useful to appropriately recuperate and verify the status of Ẹfúnṣetán Aníwúrà within the backdrop of Yoruba cultural context. This is illustrated through a feminist re-reading of Ẹfúnṣetán’s actions and …

Convicted Without Evidence: Elderly Women And Witchcraft Accusations In Contemporary Nigeria, Friday A. Eboiyehi

Journal of International Women's Studies

Concern about persecution of person(s) accused of witchcraft practices has long been recognized as a major issue in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, the persecution of elderly women suspected to be witches is predominantly widespread, and has been identified as one of the most important obstacle to the attainment of the December, 1993 Declaration of the UN General Assembly on elimination of violence against women on the continent. Torturing and various forms of violence against elderly women accused of witchcraft without evidence against them implies major infringements of their fundamental Human Rights as enshrined in Article 5 of the Universal Declaration …

Effective Use Of Media Awareness Campaigns For Breast Cancer Care Among Women: A Comparative Study, Okorie Nelson, Abiodun Salawu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study investigated the influence of media awareness campaigns on breast cancer care among women in South-West Nigeria. This study employed a mixed research method, which made use of survey and focus group discussion to achieve the objectives of the study. For the sample size, a total of 632 persons participated in the study, which was made up of 600 questionnaire respondents and 32 discussants for the focus group discussion. The multi- stage sampling and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the questionnaire respondents in Lagos, Oyo and Ekiti States. Also, three hypotheses were tested using cross tabulation …

In Their Husbands' Shoes: Feminism And Political Economy Of Women Breadwinners In Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria, Friday Asiazobor Eboiyehi, Caroline Okumdi Muoghalu, Adeyinka Oladayo Bankole

Journal of International Women's Studies

In a significant number of societies worldwide, the primary role of men is to serve as breadwinners in their households. However, in Nigeria, since the mid-1980s there has been a steady rise in the number of women breadwinners in many households. In spite of this, not enough studies have been conducted on this emerging phenomenon. Using feminist and political economy theories as explanatory tools, the study examined women breadwinners in Nigeria using Ile-Ife of Southwestern Nigeria as a case study. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were utilized to explore the circumstances leading to the rise of women …

Multilevel Analysis Of State Variations In Women's Participation In Household Decision-Making In Nigeria, Esther O. Lamidi

Journal of International Women's Studies

Although the past two decades featured burgeoning research on issues affecting women’s lives in Nigeria, the existing studies of women’s status and decision-making autonomy in the country leave important gap in their representations of the high level of sociocultural heterogeneity in the country. Using a nationally representative survey data, the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS, n = 26,306), this study examines variations in women’s decision-making autonomy across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria. A series of multilevel linear regression models revealed that Nigerian women’s levels of participation in household decision-making varied significantly across states …

Women And The Law In Nigeria: A Reappraisal, Eghosa Osa Ekhator

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women in Nigeria face many challenges and discrimination under some extant laws. This paper will focus on some of these laws and their impacts on women in Nigeria. The first section will focus on a brief history of Nigeria as a background to the paper. Nigeria’s unique legal system will be briefly highlighted. The second section of the paper will highlight aspects of Nigerian laws accentuating discrimination against women. Some of these laws will include the Labour Act, the Police Act, customary practices and sexual violence laws amongst others. The third part of the paper will focus on the reforms …

Circular Consciousness In The Lived Experience Of Intersectionality: Queer/Lgbt Nigerian Diasporic Women In The Usa, Meremu Chikwendu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay will introduce and analyze the idea of circular consciousness as the product of the constant negotiations involved in the lived experience of intersectionality. Circular consciousness is the understanding that subject positionings are in constant motion, sliding over, under, and around each other, consequently informing and redefining identities. The essay pulls from intersectional theory and feminist postcolonial theory, speaks to queer theory, and calls for increased and continued elasticity in our understandings and theorizing around power, subjectivity, agency, and identity. Advocating for a renewed dedication to the political origins of intersectional theory, this article will focus on LGBQ Nigerian-born …

Changing Status Of Women And The Phenomenon Trafficking Of Women For Transactional Sex In Nigeria: A Qualitative Analysis, Clementina A. Osezua

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper examines the changing status of Bini women occasioned by the upsurge and endemic nature of the phenomenon of trafficking of women for the purpose of transactional sex. It engaged ethnographic methods of data collection with the use of family based interviews, focus group discussions using vignette stories, life histories, and key informant interviewing. Data were analyzed based on emerged themes. Findings revealed that “successful” trafficked Bini women enjoyed high socio-economic status in their families of procreation especially where family members were the direct recipients of the proceeds from transactional sex. Most mothers of “successfully” trafficked victims wielded greater …

Identifying Indigenous Health Technologies Used By Women In A Rural Community In Nigeria On The Cord Stumps Of Newborns: A Decrease In Cord Infections And Neonatal Tetanus?, Ifeyinwa Flossy Obuekwe, Ifechukwude Chuma Obuekwe

Journal of International Women's Studies

About two-thirds of births in developing countries take place outside health facilities and almost half of the women are delivered by untrained traditional birth attendants (TBAs), family members or deliver on their own. A wide variety of traditional practices and beliefs are associated with care of the umbilical cord. This paper attempts to identify indigenous health technologies used by women in a rural community – Oregbeni – in Edo State, Nigeria on the cord stumps of newborns, to describe their preparations and applications and also to link these traditional practices with the relevant scientific information to determine the validity of …

An Epidemiological Survey On The Presence Of Toxic Chemicals In Soaps And Cosmetics Used By Adolescent Female Students From A Nigerian University, Ifeyinwa Flossy Obuekwe, Uche Mabel Ochei

Journal of International Women's Studies

An epidemiological survey was conducted into the presence of toxic chemicals in soaps and cosmetics used by 200 adolescent female students between 17 and 26 years of age from a Nigerian university, The University of Benin, Benin City. Most of these cosmetics, which included creams, lotions and soaps, were imported from Europe. 20% of these young girls had used cosmetics to lighten their skin for between two months to two years and claimed that they had some irritations. Another 40% used a mixture of cosmetics and soaps in combination and their skins were burnt during the period. Over 66% used …

The Shortfall Of Female Mathematics Lecturers In Nigerian Universities: Strategies For Promotion And Retention Of Prospective Female Mathematics Lecturers, A. N. G. Alutu, L. Eraikhuemen

Journal of International Women's Studies

Mathematics is the bedrock of national development. It is a subject without which a nation cannot move forward scientifically or technologically. It has been observed that the level of female participation in Mathematics studies in the Universities is very low and over the years there has been a steady decline. The study involved focus group discussions with the lecturers in Mathematics Department from these Universities from 1995-2000. This paper has established the low level of female undergraduates and female lecturers in Mathematics Departments in the Universities in Edo and Delta States. The major strategies identified in this paper for the …

Self-Perception Of Female Educational Administrators In Nigeria: Reflections On A Sociological Study, Chika Josephine A. Ifedili

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study investigated the self-perception of female educational administrators in public post-primary schools in Edo State, Nigeria. It examined the appointment of public post-primary educational administrators, determined by qualifications to the position and considered factors such as the future career aspirations of female administrators, resistance of men to women advancing to the field, and stereotypes or discrimination. The researcher constructed the instrument used in this study, titled Personnel Management Inventory (PMI). It was validated using expert opinion approach. Major findings indicated that:

1. Women were highly discriminated against in appointment and promotion, and
2. Women were required to stay longer in service …

Male Gender Roles And Sexuality: Implications For University Girls’ Hiv/Aids Awareness In A Nigerian University, S. O. Momoh, Chinedum Godson Asagwara, Ugiomoh Maria Meriamu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study was conducted to examine the implications of male gender roles and sexuality for University girls’ HIV/AIDS awareness. Information was elicited from 2399 randomly selected undergraduate students, from the nine faculties of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Results indicate moderate levels of HIV/AIDS awareness and that of the hypothesis testing showed a no significant difference at p> 0.05, as a result of male gender roles. The paper draws the conclusion that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS was on the increase, and that University undergraduate girls are more vulnerable because of high risks of sexual behaviour for monetary gains. The …

Appropriate Technology For Cassava Processing In Nigeria: User’S Point Of View, Stella O. Odebode

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study examined appropriate agricultural extension technological needs of users in cassava processing activities in Nigeria. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 160 participating and non-participating users making a total of 320 users in Oyo state. Data was collected with Interview Schedule and analysed using chi-square and t-test. (58%) of women (users) use traditional processing equipments in cassava processing. Improved processing technologies used include vibrating sieve, abrasive peeler, motorised grater, drum drier, and screw-jack. Processed cassava products include “gari,” “lafun,” starch, and “fufu.” Significant relationships exist between the use of improved technologies for processing and age (X2 = 6.15, …

Effects Of Protégé-Mentor Gender Mix On Organisational Commitment, David E. Okurame

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study examined the interaction effects of protégé and mentor gender on organisational commitment in the Nigerian work setting. Data was collected from one hundred and sixty-one dyads in four gender combinations through a survey of a large government owned health institution. Results revealed that mean scores of all-male, all female, and the female protégé-male mentor dyads were comparable while that of male protégé-female mentor was significantly low. Whereas organisational commitment was better for male protégés when their mentors were males, it was better for females when mentors were females. The study narrows the gap created by the dearth of …

Gender Responsive Entrepreneurial Economy Of Nigeria: Enabling Women In A Disabling Environment, May Nwoye

Journal of International Women's Studies

Growth and development are among the most exciting subjects in economics, and the application of their principles to developing countries especially the African economies, is both needed and timely. In Nigeria, women have historically been disadvantaged in accessing not only material resources like property and credit, but also have been deprived of resources like education, market information and modern technology. All of these factors have negative implications for the type of enterprises that women are engaged in. This paper highlights the various economic constraints faced by women in Nigeria, as a result of limitations imposed on them by nature and …