Gender Inequality and the Status of Widows in Nigeria: Implication for Counseling
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain the relationship between gender inequality and status of widow in Nigeria
- To ascertain the implication of gender inequality among widows in among
- To ascertain the economic implications of these widowhood practices on the widows.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
GENDER, NATURE AND THE PROBLEM OF POSSIBLE VARIATION
At the core of the sociological analysis of gender is the distinction between biological sex and gender: sex is a property of the biological characteristics of an organism; gender is socially constructed, socially created. This is a powerful and totally revolutionary idea: we have the potential capacity to change the social relations in which we live, including the social relations between biologically defined men and women. Sometimes in the media one hears a discussion in which someone talks about the gender of a dog. In the sociological use of the term, dogs don’t have gender; only people living within socially constructed relations are gendered.1 This distinction raises a fundamental question in sociological theory about what it means to say that something is “natural”. Gender relations are generally experienced as “natural” rather than as something created by cultural and social processes. Throughout most of history for most people the roles performed by men and women seem to be derived from inherent biological properties. After all, it is a biological fact that women get pregnant and give birth to babies and have the capacities to breastfeed them. Men cannot do this. It is biological fact that all women know that they are the mothers of the babies they bear, whereas men know that they are the fathers of particular children only when they have confidence that they know the sexual behavior of the mother. It is a small step from these biological facts to the view that it is also a fact of nature that women are best suited to have primary responsibility for rearing children as well, and because of this they should be responsible for other domestic chores. The central thesis of sociological accounts of gender relations is that these biological facts by themselves do not determine the specific form that social relations between men and women take. This does not imply, however, an even stronger view, that gender relations have nothing to do with biology. Gender relations are the result of the way social processes act on a specific biological categories and form social relations between them. One way of thinking about this is with a metaphor of production: biological differences rooted in sex constitute the raw materials which, through a specific process of social production, get transformed into the social relations we call “gender”. Now, this way of thinking about sex and gender leaves entirely open the very difficult question of what range of variation in gender relations is stably possible. This is a critical question if one holds to a broadly egalitarian conception of social justice and fairness. From an egalitarian point of view, gender relations are fair if, within those relations, males and females have equal power and equal autonomy. This is what could be termed “egalitarian gender relations.” This does not imply that all men and all women do exactly the same things, but it does mean that gender relations do not generate unequal opportunities and choices for men and women. The sociological problem, then, is whether or not a society within which deeply egalitarian gender relations predominate is possible. We know from anthropological research that in human history taken as a whole there is enormous variation in the character of social relations between men and women. In some societies at some points in history, women were virtually the slaves of men, completely disempowered and vulnerable. In some contemporary societies they must cover their faces in public and cannot appear outside of the home without being accompanied by an appropriate man. In other times and places, women have had considerable autonomy and control over their bodies and activities. So, one thing is for sure: there is enormous empirical variation which we can observe. What is much less clear is what sorts of variation are possible, and what sorts of possibilities that have not yet occurred could nevertheless be stable over time. For example, in all societies women have historically had primary responsibility for earlyinfant care; in no society has it been the case that the prevalent social norms backed the principle that fathers should be as involved in the care of babies as mothers.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to gender inequality and the status of widows in Nigeria: implication of counseling
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on gender inequality and the status of widows in Nigeria: implication of counseling. 200 residents in some selected communities in Ikono LGA, Akwa Ibom state were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain gender inequality and the status of widows in Nigeria: implication of counseling. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of gender inequality and the status of widows in Nigeria: implication of counseling
Summary
This study was on gender inequality and the status of widows in Nigeria: implication of counseling. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the relationship between gender inequality and status of widow in Nigeria, to ascertain the implication of gender inequality among widows in among, to ascertain the economic implications of these widowhood practices on the widows. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 residents from Ikono LGA, Akwa Ibom. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made married men, married women, widows and widowers were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
Perceived gender inequality implications of widowhood practices in Nigeria include discrimination, regarded as outcasts, oppression and depression, dissociation from social groups, restriction from talking in public gatherings; they are treated as strangers and hardly recognized in family meetings. In line with these findings, Ahousi (1997) made submission that it is an obvious fact that widowhood practices subject woman particularly to discrimination, exploitation and oppression are perceivable problems experience by widows.
Recommendation
Governments should establish a National Commission for Widow Affairs as a way of fostering widows’ empowerment in the society. And also provide support system for these widows such as scholarship for their children. Forceful levirate marriages against the widow’s wish must be stopped.
REFERENCES
- Agumagu, J. (2007). The Nigeria woman and widowhood challenges and constraints. Sophia: African Journal of Philosophy and Public Affairs, 10 (1):75
- Afolayan, G. E (2011). Widowhood practices and the rights of women: The case of SouthWestern Nigeria. (Unpublished Thesis), International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, the Netherlands.
- Ahonsi B. (1997). Society, Culture and The Status of Widows in Contemporary Nigeria. In Owasonoye B.
- Ahonsi B. (1997) Widowhood in Nigeria: Issues, Problems and Prospects. Lagos: OVC Nig. Ltd.
- Amasiatu, I. (2009). Hope for the hopeless: A seminar paper presented on the legal rights of a widow at the 1st National Widow’s Conference by women intercessors for the church and the nations. Port Harcourt. 27th Nov. American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy and Law. 3(5):456-476.
- Anakwe, H. I. (2004). The role of social support and life in emotional life adaptation life adaptation among widows in the University setting in Nigeria occasional. Journal of Contemporary Research University of Jos. 4(3):128-135.
- Azumah, F. D (2010). Gender and cultural based violence and widowhood rituals in Ghana and its effects on women’s reproductive health rights. Oral presentation N263 @ the Penn-ICOWH 18th Congress. Philadelphia: USA 7th -10th April 2010.
- Chima, J. K. (1996). Widowhood among the Igbo of Eastern Nigeria. Thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy in History, University of Bergen Ireland.
